Never mess with a Marines daughter
by pamspet
Summary: This is a bit of an alternate story line starting from when all the guys are in jail (including Opie). While incarcerated Tig finds out that his father is dead, left him a bundle of money and a peculiar sister who wants to get acquainted and as most people do wants to get away from her life. This story covers a little bit of everything in Charming. Mostly focused on the OC.
1. They Meet

**They Meet**

She felt like a pet in an aquarium. Every eye in the place seen and unseen rested on her and her every move…or at least that's how it felt. In the distance she saw some men in what looked like orange scrubs with a bit of white clothes here and there.

Kendal Leigh Devlin took a deep breath and let it out, it was a strange way to go to a prison for the first time and Stockton Correctional Facility was not exactly what she expected but she was going to get right through this. 'This is nothing compared to the shit I've been through' she thought to herself. 'Just a walk in a well secured park…' the optimistic voice in her head finished.

As she reached the doors of the prison a woman in her mid-thirties in a very nice suit opened the door for her. "Ms Devlin?" she asked.

"That's me." Kendal smiled and extended her hand "Are you Ally Lowen?" the woman nodded, "it is very nice to meet you."

Ally shook her hand "First time in jail?" she asked.

"Yes, does it show?" Kendal exhaled and looked down expecting to see a sign on herself she didn't know about.

"No, no, just you are wearing a very nice dress, and open toe shoes…not exactly smiled on here, but don't worry about it you are here as part of legal counsel so you do not have to follow the visitor dress code." Ally said trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

"OH. I didn't even think about that…" Kendal exclaimed as she looked down at what she considered a modest dress. It was a 40's style dress that was navy with white polka dots all over; the dress was not tight but was closely tailored to accommodate her curves, it fell below her knees, the top was had the look of a baby doll t-shirt and was covered up by a half sleeve white cardigan sweater. Kendal looked more like a librarian than anything else in her mind "Open toed shoes really?" she inquired curiously, again looking down to her white half pumps open toe shoes with a strap around her ankle they matched the little white belt around her waist.

"Some men have a feet thing…" Ally shrugged off and began leading Kendal down the hallway "we were waiting for you. They are summoning Mr. Trager now." Ally led her to a room filled with tables and chairs. Currently it was occupied by a few men in suits with briefcases and papers everywhere. It looked like a mess and yet it was organized in only a way a lawyer's mess can be organized.

Kendal walked into the proverbial lions din and received million dollar smiles and warm welcomes. These lions ate wallets not nervous girls who should calm down Kendal mentally noted. They showed her to a metal folding chair at the end of the table. Just then a tall gentleman in the California prison orange uniform was brought in by a guard he was laughing menacing "Just kidding, man…can't you take a joke. Hey is this party for me?" he said eyeing the table and its occupants one by one.

"Tig nice to see ya. I am here to assure you these men are here for your benefit." Ally walked to Trager as the officer took off his handcuffs.

"Ally girl, my favorite lawyer." Tig shook her hand and gave her a smile. "so who are they?" Tig sat next to Ally and across from the three lawyers who were standing smiling at him.

"This is Myra Golding, he is an estate lawyer, he is here with Ms. Devlin." as she motioned each person she gestured to them. Tig's eyebrows went up when she gestured to Kendal and he blew her a kiss. "Josh Rosenbloom is your financial counsel, and finally this is Ira Goldstein he is with the bank."

"Who died and left me money? And why is the hotty here for me?" Tig smiled giving Kendal what could be called a '_come hither'_ look, or an '_I'm going to rape you in a dark alley_' look.

The man Ally referred to as Myra was an overly tanned a-typical slicked back salt and peppered hair lawyer, his face turned somber as he said "Mr. Trager, I am sorry to tell you that your father has died."

Tig's face changed from jolly mischief to somber "Dad's dead?" he sounded meek, "was it painful, did he die violently?" Tig said in a small tone.

Myra nodded his head and looked down as if going for an Oscar he took a deep breath as he looked up and powered through this speech again "Unfortunately, Alex it was," there was a dramatic pause "murdered...stabbed in a knife fight in Mexico."

"Good." Tig said, and his confident smile and bold voice came back. Everyone seemed disgusted except for Ally who kept a straight face, and Kendall who tried to hide a chuckle.

Myra cleared his throat "Well…anyways he left his children his estate." Tig said nothing but made a go on gesture with his hands "You his eldest and only son, and his two daughters; Jennifer Trager who is now deceased, and the youngest Kendal Devlin. Because your others sisters death and her not having any descendants, the estate will be equally divided between you and your sister." Myra gestured again to Kendal.

Tig held up his hand to stop Myra and turned looking at Kendal fully "You're my sister?"

"Surprise?!" Kendal tried to give a smile that turned into a smirk and a shrug.

"Yeah, I am gonna have to stop daydreaming about fucking you." Tig said trying to shock her.

"Just imagine my pussy has teeth, that should calm down the beast." Kendal said placing the smart ass smirk back on her face.

"I thought the only family I had was a junk head that OD'd years ago, turns out fucking Gidget is my baby sister." He shook his head and then asked "how old are you anyways?"

"Twenty seven."

"Did you know about me?" Tig was now vaguely ignoring the others in the room.

"Yes." Kendal said "Dad said I was not to pursue a relationship with you because…" as she trailed off she made a general gesture to her prison surroundings she smiled and looked at the lawyers with an air that said '_you may continue now_'.

Myra looked back to Tig "with most of his assets being liquidated, your inheritance is going to come to $301,725 pre-tax. There is also unlisted physical assets, in his will Alexander wished to leave it to the both of you, but seeing your current circumstances Ms. Devlin will stay in position of these items and distribute them at the time of your release."

"What kind of physical assets? Like a stereo, a car, or something?" Tig asked.

"Ms. Devlin? Do you feel comfortable sharing the undisclosed items?" Myra asked.

"Either way you are all contractually bound not to share what's said…so…" she turned from the lawyers to Tig "Guns. Lots of them. Some are antiques, some just your run of the mill fire arm. Dad was a collector, and gun enthusiast." Kendal said to Tig who shrugged and nodded and tried to hide her amused smirk at the uncomfortable looks from the estate lawyers.

"I don't care about that shit. I just want the cash." Tig said.

"Fair enough." Kendal said, "his half just went up another 32 grand, for cost of the physical items, that are now mine in full."

"Three hundred and thirty K in one afternoon…whoo hoo! That son of a bitch finally did something right!" Tig cheered and punched the air around him in triumph.

Ally smiled, and said "Pre-Tax. That is why Rosenbloom us here."

Tig turned to the shorter spectacled curly-haired gentleman in the middle. "Mr. Trager, after inheritance taxes and other costs you are going to receive just under $225,000. Given your current location and your other assets and liabilities I suggest we pay off your mortgage and put the remaining in high interest account and other high interest investments until your sentence is up, then we can revisit these funds at that time."

"And how much am I paying you guys?" Tig says giving a wave to the minaret in front of him.

Myra laughed and said "Our expenses, are covered in full."

"You're free?" Tig smiled. "how'd I get so lucky?"

"It seems, you might want to screw your sister but she is sure not screwing you." Myra said. "sign here and here the inheritance is yours and I can get out of here." Myra said pointing to two sticky tabs on a very formal looking document and handing Tig a pen.

"Have my lawyers perused this?" Ally smiled as Tig flitted the papers and began to sign.

"We have, everything is in order." Mr. Goldbloom said.

Tig finished signing "it was a pleasure doing business with you. Next time someone dies and leaves me a bundle of cash come and see me."

Myra grabbed the document put it in his briefcase and turned to Kendal "Ms. Devlin, I believe that settles your father's estate in full. I am sorry for your loss." he stuck his hand out and Kendal shook it.

"One down, two to go." Tig smiled and turned to the other lawyers.

Within the next hour, papers were signed, finances were discussed, and decided upon; all that was left was Ally, Kendal, and Tig.

Ally smiled "Tig, you have about 5 more months on your sentence, then you are a free man. So keep your head down. I have spoken with the warden, and he has agreed to give a special hour visit with your sister. Since you were with me and the other lawyers this area is free of recording devices and everything say is protected by client privilege. If anything interesting comes up in the next hour it is strictly between the two of you" She stood up shook Tig's and Kendal's hand.

After Ally left the room was quiet for a second. Kendal shifted seats so that she was directly in front of Tig. For about 20 seconds they gave each other a closer once over.

"You have his eyes." Kendal finally said.

"I keep looking, but besides the hair color I don't see any of him in you." Tig said cocking his head to one side.

"Oh he's in there, and most definitely in here." Kendal said tapping her head.

"He was one sadistic prick, how'd you get out?"

"Out?…that is a relative term…" Kendal let out a sigh she was contemplating what truth to say and how much of the truth to relinquish. She decided she would go for something new, honesty, as complete as she could make it. "My mom died when I was 3...dad split when I was a baby. So I stayed with my aunt Nina for a little while...eventually dad found out and came back." she gave a small sigh "He was getting older and felt he needed a prodigy." Kendal rolled her eyes before continuing "I was there, young, impressionable and ripe for him to mold so his legacy could live on."

Tig scoffed in mild disgust but Kendal did not waver it was like the dam broke and her mouth was the release valve "He trained me…at 10 I would have been a top marine…13 black ops…artillery, demolition, explosives, close combat…you name it. By the time I was sprouting boobs I was well beyond his expectations the better I did, the more he seemed to care and love me..." she smiled at the ridiculous of her own life story "My daddy issues were dependent on how fast I could disassemble, clean, strip the serial number & barrel and then reassemble a M24 sniper rifle…51.7 seconds was my record by the way." Tig eyebrows went up in appreciation.

"So daddy taught you to be a good marine." Tig said dismissively, "he wanted me to enlist too."

"Enlist? No! Dad wanted me to take over _his_ business." Kendal clarified.

"Family business? The handyman, janitor general hard ass drunk business?" Tig was thoroughly confused.

"No…he wanted me to buy into the only real job Alexander Lee Trager ever really had, being a fixer." by the look on Tig's face she could see that he needed more clarification "a mechanic… not the repairing car version." Kendal explained to her apparently clueless half-brother or really good at acting clueless half-brother. "Dad was only good at 2 things in life; killing people and scarring the shit out of people. And he turned into a lucrative business." Kendal shrugged.

"Our dad…former Mr. Former US Marine special forces who always told me to do better and kicked my ass all the time was a goddamn mercenary?" Tig looked sick.

"A _Mechanic_" Kendal put that in imaginary air quotes "also a real mechanic, carpenter, electrician, plumber, yatta, yatta, yatta…he was a jack of all trades to have a cover story wherever we went." By the look on Tig's face she knew that Tig really had no clue and was pissed. "He knew that the one cover story that would never quite fit was _dad_" that word was also in air quotations.

"He knew, but he did shit about it." Tig smiled in a very odd way almost as if he was saying '_fuck you, dad_' in silence.

"Seeing as one died of an overdose, and one is the muscle for SAMCRO…he was aware that the product reflects on the maker, so he attempted to do right by me." Kendal paused "...not by being a better care taker or anything logical or caring like that. Instead he told me the truth. When I was 16 or so, he realized that I, his protege, could shoot a cherry off a sundae from a mile away but I refused to kill anything…" she sighed "He cut out on me too…again. Occasionally he checked in on me and later when I was trying to get my consultant business off the ground he helped me. I helped him with something's here and there too…" Kendal continued with another shrug of non-emotion "really he was just my Drill Sargent for years and then one of my clients." she finished quickly.

Kendal took another deep sigh "But he did tell the best dirty jokes"

"He…"Tig was absorbing everything, and comparing it to the man he knew and hated "...did tell great jokes."

"I don't want this to seem like a Oprah episode but I did kind of want to start a friendship with you…I mean seeing as you are the only living family I have left…and Dad cannot kill you know."

"Kill me?" Tig look confused.

"He said that if I ever came close to you or SAMCRO he would end you." Kendal said. "I had no want for that…despite your nefarious actions you always seemed like the cooler older brother that every super tomboy sister would want."

"I don't know about any of that…I have never had ties…" Tig began his slightly modified 'dumping' speech.

"Whoa, there cowboy, I ain't looking for family reunions and our pictures on Christmas cards or anything like that. I am a very much no strings attached kind of girl especially when it comes to family…I just thought we could…" Kendal paused and used her hands to grab at invisible words "I don't know…have lunch, talk about funny things, make fun of people…shit like that. Sound good Kemo Sabe?" Kendal said in a very matter of fact way.

"You are…" Tig paused trying to pick his words carefully, "my sister…and…ok why not?"

"You know were not that different…" Kendal bandied.

"Besides being good-looking, and having the same dad how are we the same?" Tig asked.

"Well, we both like the darker interest of life…and we find the horrible, funny…I am a hell of a better shot than you or I would say that we are both good at guns and the like."

"A better shot than me?! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Tig exclaimed. "we'll see about that."

The rest of the hour flew by without a break in conversation. They talked about guns, explosions, cars, bikes, good kills, bad kills (never incriminating anyone of course), and they talked about their dad. Mostly bad but the occasional good thing such as he was a great bike mechanic.

A guard gave them a 2 minute warning, and then there was the first awkward silence since the beginning of their visit. "So you going to stick around then?" Tig finally asked.

"I was hoping too…" Kendal made a funny face. "I found a fixer upper in Charming, I was going to try to find a job there and live legit for a while. On the grid and everything." Kendal said with an excited note in her voice.

"Get in touch with Gemma Morrow at the shop. Tell her I sent you, she'll help you out." Tig said.

The guard came to get Tig and he stood up to go Kendal stood up too. She looked down and then without warning flung her arms around Tig and gave him a big hug, "I'm happy I get to know you."

Tig squeezed her back and said "Let's hope neither of us regret this."

The guard pulled them apart and started to take Tig away. "I'll come on visiting days…and write you." Kendal called after him.

"I'll be here…don't look so sad sis…Dad ever tell you why witches don't wear panties?" Tig said being cuffed again.

"No why?"

"To keep a better grip on the broom." Tig said and the guard and Kendal laughed.

"I hope it was sanded right because splinters would be a son of a bitch." Kendal said back. The guard looked stunned that she said such a thing.

Tig just laughed. "Good thing we got his humor."

Kendal turned and left. This time the weight of all the eyes on her did not worry her. She came today with the looming death of her father and maybe a legal battle over her head and she was leaving with a bad ass big brother in theory. All together a great accomplishment for her first time to a jail.

Tig returned to his communal cell. All the guys were there waiting for him ranging from nervous to apathetic.

"You okay brother?" Clay asked.

"I couldn't be happier." Tig plopped down on his bunk and smiled.

"You been gone for 3 and a half hours man, what happened?" Jax asked sitting at the foot of his bunk.

"Well, my dad is dead, he left me a bundle of cash, I have a big tit, sweet ass, sister that I eye fucked for half an hour before I knew we were related." Tig explained succinctly.

"That's a busy afternoon." Clay said. "how much cash?"

"Sister?" Jax stuck to the humanitarian aspect.

"Who has big tits and a sweet ass…apparently…Tig man I thought you could not get any more wrong with shit like that…" Juice shook his head.

Tig shrugged "I didn't know…200g's or so…"

All of the members of SAMCRO gathered around and looked at him with wide eyes "That's a shit load of money, man…." Opie finally said.

"I thought your dad was a loser?" Clay said "wasn't he like a janitor or something?"

"I was mistaken…little sis, cleared that up for me, my piece of shit dad, was a fucking hitman. Can you believe that shit?!"

"A hitman?" Jax questioned. "like in the mob or something?"

"Freelance." Tig clarified.

Clay seemed non pulsed by this "And he left you money…and a sister."

"Pretty much." Tig said.

"Your sister knew?" Jax asked he, Opie, and Juice still looked confused and were trying to wrap their head around the situation were as Clay just seemed to accept it at face value.

"Yeah, she was his apprentice or some shit…but she couldn't kill anyone." Tig shrugged "as far as I can tell she has some sort of hitman consulting business or some shit like that." Tig said "She's moving to Charming….and is going to come and see me to see if we could be family or something." The last word was full of confusion.

"She moving to Charming? She can't have her business there." Clay said with an authoritative voice.

"She knows….she is going to go legit, now that dad is gone." Tig said. "I told her to get in touch with Gem."

"I'll let her know, I get my call tomorrow." Clay said and slapped Tig on the shoulder.

"Can't wait to meet her man she sounds like a trip." Jax said patting Tig on his other shoulder.

"She a brunette wearing a blue polka dot dress?" Opie asked as the other guys had dawn of comprehension on their face.

Tig looked confused "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Everyone in the rec yard saw her…she is…" Jax gave a whistle "How the fuck is she your sister?"

"I was thinking she was ugly as hell, like you…" Clay said and everyone laughed. "But that girl is a fucking Mary Ann knock out."

"Why I oughtta?!" Tig did a little 3 stooges for the amused crowd.


	2. There goes the Neighborhood

**There Goes the Neighborhood**

Kendal drove back to her hotel with a smile, '_Now the easy part_' she thought '_make a new life for myself, including my brother and his club, but not getting involved with them…easy enough._' This was her perspective until she met Gemma Morrow.

Gemma was easy to understand, but understanding her was not being liked or trusted by her or even close to either of those things. She was the Mother of all these Lost Boys, half in jail, half running around the mechanic shop as if they were toddlers around her knees.

Upon their first meeting the term suspicious did not come close to Gemma's actions towards Kendal…she was downright Gestapoish. Upon their second meeting she was only slightly better. Kendal had a theory that this was not an uphill battle but a climb up Everest…It was going to be a long hard fight to get Gemma to believe she was just a normal girl trying to make good and know her brother.

Seeing as that was only partially right, it would be a harder sell. Kendal already knew some about the people she was slowly meeting but she kept that to herself. She had found that no one ever likes the fact that you researched them like a planet for your fifth grade science report, or more accurately like an estranged sister breaking into government files to get all the information she could on the people in your brother's life, including a secret crime organization under the guise of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Upon their third visit Gemma was in a tight spot and hired Kendal as a new mechanic at the shop. If she was going to give this legitimate, honest, on-the-grid, life a fighting chance she was going to need gainful employment, and she was a damn fine grease monkey. Compared to the other mechanics, Kendal was focused, did not have to go on bike runs, and at this time did not have another jobs. This made her more productive and that was the only thing that Gemma liked about her.

It had been a month since she met her brother she closed on the house and had begun remodeling herself in her free time. It did not look like much from the front, but it had a pool (that needed work), the back yard was big, and a standalone workshop/guesthouse shed like building was in the back as well.

She had also begun to form friendships with some of the SAMCRO family. Piney and his grandchildren were by far her favorite. He was a kind, loving, mostly moral person and reminded Kendal of her father on his best days. The kids were at the shop almost every afternoon, she ventured over to them one day to ask if they wanted to help her with something and they both gleefully agreed.

Ellie was very shy and it took a while for Kendall to pry her out of her shell but she eventually did. Kenny liked to show off and loved being doted upon and because he was such a goof Kendal gladly obliged the 8-year-old. Piney had left them at her place on occasion while he did club business and they always had a great time.

Her and Tara's friendship started somewhat rocky. Upon Gemma's request she agreed to carpool with Tara to Stockton one Saturday as Kendal made the trip most weeks. She had met Tara once or twice before but never really spoke to her, however, Kendall knew she was Jax's old lady (Gemma's son and the VP of SAMCRO) so she wanted to make a good impression.

Saturday morning came and she was right on time she knocked at the door and Tara quickly answered handing her things and giving her what seemed like gentle orders. Kendal grabbed the diaper bag and one car seat and followed orders...she knew how to do that and it didn't occur to her to mind. It took 10 minutes to get both car seats strapped in securely in the back seat of Kendal's Passat, both children strapped in, the dual stroller and other baby accessories in the trunk, and the adults in the front and buckled in. Then they were off.

"I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to stop by a Starbucks on the way there." Kendal said.

"Coffee sounds great," Tara said, "thanks for agreeing to take me."

"Not a problem, I was already going, it would be nice to have company on the way" Kendal smiled, "and it would be good to get to know some more people...only people I really speak to are my fellow grease monkeys, and some of the girls around the shop." when Kendall spoke about the other girls it sounded like she was ill at the thought.

"You don't get along with the other girls?" Tara asked.

"I um…we do not seem to have the same interest." Kendal explained and Tara unsuccessfully hid a scoff.

After they went through the drive-thru at Starbucks they sat in silence for about ten miles before Kendal tried again to start-up some conversation "your boys are beautiful."

"Thanks." Tara said.

"How old are they?" Tara tried a more open-ended starter.

"Abel is about going on 3, and Thomas is almost 1 years old." Tara said in a very finite tone.

"Have I done something wrong? Or said something to upset you?" Kendal asked.

"No, you are very polite and respectful, like you should, but, I…" Tara paused trying to find the right words "I, don't make friends with crow eaters." she said quickly "sorry."

"Crow eater?!" Kendal blanched "Um…I am not a Crow eater, I work for the shop." she tried to understand why Tara would have drawn that conclusion "Tig is my brother…I don't, you know, with the guys, nor will I…I'm not that kind of girl" Kendal clarified in a bold tone.

"Tig's sister?" Tara blushed "I…I am sorry, I thought you were just one of the girls who go and see him…I didn't even know he had a sister."

"Its fine." Kendal said curtly; now realizing that her earlier helpful nature conveyed submissive acceptance of Tara's superiority as an old lady.

"No, no it's not." Tara said and she let out a big sigh, "I am really sorry…I am thought you were, one of Tig's creepy girls."

"Creepy?"

"Yeah, he has uh…wider and weirder interest when it comes to relationships, I thought you were dressing like a teenage fantasy thing for him…" Tara said.

Kendall looked down at her attire she was in jeans and a Meatloaf 'Bat out of Hell' shirt she sighed "That is a lot to take in…" Kendal said "but I can't say I'm surprised. He seemed the type."

"You sound like you just met him…" Tara said confused.

"You are not wrong." Kendal said and then explained the circumstances of her and Tig. Somewhere while she was going on she found herself sharing things she normally wouldn't but she just couldn't stop herself. She mentioned losing her dad wasn't that big of a deal, but taking this giant leap of faith of moving to Charming was.

Tara found herself joining in the conversation and adding in her perspective and thoughts, Tara spoke about her dad dying and then somehow they landed on Kendal's new house, and the remodeling Tara wanted to do. The rest of the drive was filled with pleasant conversation.

When they arrived at the prison Tara asked for Kendal's help with the baby accessories and said thank you. They walked together through the security process and to the visiting center desk where they were split up; Tara was shown to a room for a contact visit and Kendal got a regular visitation so she went to a room of metal tables with stools welded to them.

Kendal was sitting down at one of the tables when Tig walked in with a macho swagger and a smile, he sat across from her. "Hey doll how ya been?"

"Good. How is prison treating you?" Kendal said, feeling instantly more at ease. Her natural reaction to Tig's presence was alarming to her at first but felt great to have a person she felt normal with.

Tig seemed at ease too. "You know gang fight here, shanking there, its like going home for Christmas."

A man with shoulder length blonde hair and blonde goatee waved at Tig before going into the room that Tara was waiting in. "That must be Jax."

"Why do you say that?" Tig asked.

"If not, Jax will be pissed that his old lady came to visit someone else."

"You know Tara?" Tig looked more confused than ever.

Kendal smiled and said "Maybe I should tell you about my trip here…"

"Hit me." Tig smiled.

She explained the misunderstanding from the car ride. "Guess I should have told people I was your sister and not a friend of yours. So you really have fucked half of California?"

"And most of Nevada and Oregon." Tig said.

"I should get you a trophy." Kendal smiled.

"What about you kid?" Tig said.

"A lady never gives her numbers." Kendal smiled. "But they are definitely lower than half a state, less than half a dozen, less than half a hand." Kendal blushed.

"How can you be our father's daughter, look like that, and only have had 2 guys?" Tig said in disbelief.

"I was 18 when I hooked up with one guy and we were together for a long, long time…" Kendal said "then I wised up and with some help from dad, we split up."

"How long were you with this guy? Why did dad have to help?" Tig looked very concerned and suspicious.

"Six years, and dad helped Bobby understand I was not his property, and any rash action on his part would end very badly." Kendal said.

"He was also in the business. Though we were all alone, dad had a circle of acquaintances…closest things to friends he had." she explained "Bobby was the son of one of them," she stopped to think of how she should tell the rest "Dad obviously never let me date. But once he needed me to infiltrate a school dance to get information from a powerful businessman's son." Tig looked confused but interested in the story "The guy went to school with Bobby. Dad convinced the barber…" she cleared her throat "Bobby's dad, to have Bobby take me to the Homecoming Dance. And…we melded well."

"Did you get what you needed from the other guy?" Tig asked running with the side plot.

"Oh god yeah," she laughed "Teenage boys love telling girls things." she cleared her throat and spoke in a sweet manner "It's just not fair, my dad won't let me do anything!" then in a deeper goofier voice "Mine either, and our security is so tight I can't sneak out except through the basement during the shift change…Your boobs are big he, he, he." she rolled her eyes and Tig laughed.

"Who was the other guy? Did dad have to threaten him?" Tig asked.

"No…" she thought for a second "I get a little feisty, when I drink...One night I got drunk and had my one and only, one night stand. Bobby found out and beat him half to death…so i've been riding a celibate wave."

"That's bullshit! You tell Happy about this guy and you can do whatever you want. And tell Happy I'll owe him one." Tig said hitting the table.

The guard yelled a warning and he cooled off "Nope. I am clear of that, and him. I am living on the up and up now. If I find someone who strikes my interest I will see…feel a bit bad for them though, I have a lot of pent-up energy to curse them with…" she shook off her thoughts "I am nowhere close to being ready for anything resembling a relationship, and I don't see fucking and running as my style..."

"Try to not be creeped out by this…but I am pretty sure no guy would mind your working out your frustrations on them. Other than that-if any one messes with you, you let me or the boys know. We take care of our own." Tig said.

"Own?…that sounds nice actually…besides Happy I don't see any of the guys taking care of much, Miles is okay I guess…I had to help Piney off the ground last week." Kendal said.

"They are a mess some times." Tig's eyebrows went up in amusement "And Kozik, I got my problems with the guy but he can get shit done."

"Ok, I believe you. But who's Kozik?…and why do you have problems with him?" she asked

"If you are working at the shop how do you _not know_ Koz?" Tig asked.

"Don't know…Gem said something about a guy on a run getting back this week, could that be him?" Kendal answered.

"Maybe…our problems are complicated…don't worry about them. He's a good guy though, if you need anything you can go to him too" Tig pressed "and use the prospects for any bitch work."

"Ok, I get it…" Kendal said coyly. "So let's change the subject…"

"So you live on Redwood Cove?" Tig was trying to pin point where the house Kendal bought was.

"Yes on the corner of Redwood cove and Brown street. A couple of blocks from the main road." She explained.

"I know exactly where that is, Opie lives on Brown." Tig said.

"Opie? Piney is his dad? Has 2 really cute kids? " She asked.

"Yep that's the one." Tig let out a slow breath of regret and sadness. "Anyways…so what are you doing to the house? USE the prospects…"

For the rest of the visit it seemed as if they did not stop laughing. Information was exchanged about her remodeling plans and shop talk, mostly though they were jovial about just being in each others presence. They hugged as they said their good-byes and said they would see each other next week.

Kendal's visit ended before Tara's so she waited for her. She got to say hi to Jax before he was taken away. Then she helped Tara with her children and the menagerie that came with them.

The return trip to charming wasn't as awkward nor light-spirited. Tara and Kendal were both in the afterglow of seeing loved ones (Tara more so than Kendal) but each had a bit of sorrow from leaving them. Tara cried quietly to herself. Kendal asked if she could do anything and Tara said no.

* * *

Jax walked back to the bunk looking like a thirsty man who had one swig of an ice-cold beer before it was taken away.

"Hey man," Opie said and patted him on the back.

"Hey," Jax answered.

"How are Tara and the kids?" Clay asked.

"They are good…Thomas is talking some and Abel is mastering potty training…he loves peeing outside. He can't keep it in his pants…" Jax smiled.

"Sounds like his old man," Opie said and they all laughed.

"What about you Tig?" Clay turned "How is baby sister?"

"She's good…working on her new place when she is not at the shop." Tig said

"Tara said they rode up here together." Jax said.

"Yeah, they did," Tig chuckled "she tell you she called Kendal a crow eater?" a gasp went around the much manlier knitting circle.

"She mentioned something like that…" Jax smiled again "Where's her new place?"

"Corner of Redwood & Brown." Tig said.

"That big house down the street from mine?" Opie asked

"That's the one…She has some people coming into remodel certain parts of it…she says she plans to make it a home or if things don't go right she can flip it for a huge ass profit. Apparently, Charming is even more of an expanding clusterfuck than we thought." Tig announced.

This led them to start a conversation they have had time and again, how they were going to adapt to the burgeoning city that was once their small town.


	3. Getting to know you

**Getting to know you**

Kendal met Kozik later that week...

Piney was working on a big truck and was trying to loosen the bolt on the motor mount, Kendal was right behind him on her way to help when Piney's hand slipped and shot up.

The crunch of the impact on Kendal's face and "FUCK!" from her lips echoed around the empty shop. Piney apologized immediately and led her to the club house to get some ice. He cleaned off one of the couches and had her lay down as he went and got her ice and Tylenol.

"Do you need something stronger?" He asked.

"No this should do me…but I am going to lay here for a bit. Tell Gemma when she gets here…oh and clock me out." Kendal said as she cursed under her breath and swallowed the pills down with some water.

"I will talk to Gemma don't you worry about that. I am so sorry honey." Piney said in a most pathetic tone.

"Don't you worry about it old man…I'll be getting you back." Kendal joked and attempted to smile but that kind of hurt.

"You just rest, I will be back in a minute, if you need anything you just yell at the prospects." Piney instructed as he left her in relative peace. Kendal was not sure but she thought there were people passed out on surfaces around her. But nothing was going to make her open her eyes to check.

She must have been more tired than she thought because she fell fast asleep…when she awoke there was a man above her smiling "God damn your pretty."

Instinctively she kicked him off of her, vaulted up and did a sweep step to get him on the ground. She took two steps back and got into a fighting stance before she noticed the pain in her face. She shouted "who the fuck are you?"

Happy came out of the back to survey what was going on and started to chuckle as Kozik stood up and said "You are a spunky one…I am going to like breaking you in."

Kendal did a feint punch with her left hand for him to dodge and as he did he played ever so nicely into her solid right jab. "No one is breaking me, Happy who the fuck is this guy?!"

Kozik's smile faded slightly. If he was on his game, not half drunk & half hungover, and did not underestimate his opponent he would not look like such an idiot at this moment. "I'm Kozik, I'm a member, and you will never eat crow here again, you wretched bitch."

Kendal eased her stance, and both looked at Happy who was doubled over laughing. As she did this Kozik grabbed her arm twisted it and turned it behind her. "This will teach you some manners."

Happy sobered up quickly "Koz let her go now."

"Let her go?! This cunt kicked me & punched me in my house I don't care whose slut she is…she is fucking gone." Koz said pulling her hair and guiding her to the door.

Just as Piney walked in and yelled "What the hell do you think you are doing? Let that girl go! Before every one of us kicks your ass!" Gemma, Tara, and 2 of the prospects followed him in.

Koz let go of her arm & hair with a look of confusion and before anyone could make another move or say a word Kendal stomped down on his inseam, elbowed his groin and used the back of her hand to bash his nose as he bent over in pain "Don't you ever fucking touch me again." Kendal said cooly.

Gemma & Tara looked impressed while the other guys winced in empathetic pain for Kozik. From his bent position in a voice that fully echoed pain and loss of breath Kozik squeaked "Who is this bitch from hell?"

Gemma walked forward to look at Kendal's face "This is Kendal, she is the new mechanic at the shop, and Tig's little sister." Kozik then made an audible moan and closed his eyes. Gemma took Kendal's chin in her fingers and turned her face from side to side. "Well your gonna have one hell of a shiner…but I don't think anythings broken Doc?"

Tara stepped up and shined a light in her eye and did the same critical look at Kendal's face and touched a few places and asked if they were tender or if she had feeling in them. After the more thorough examination she agreed with Gemma.

By the time her once over was complete Kozik had regained his breath but not his swagger "That wasn't me." he said quietly trying to be a polite as possible.

"I know. So how did this start?" Gemma questioned and pointed from Koz to Kendal.

"It was my fault…" Koz admitted, "I thought she was some new crow I hadn't had yet and…"He gestured at Kendal it what some might consider a complimentary way.

"So let me get this straight…If I was just a normal girl around here, you could just climb on me without asking? That's fucked sideways!" she announced "I am going back to work."

"You are not." Tara said to her and then turned to Kozik "you climbed on top of her?" she sounded utterly disgusted. Kozik shrugged and hung his head in shame…but not before Gemma could slap him on the back of the head. Tara's attention returned to Kendall. "Go home, put ice on it, 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off for the next couple hours or so. You will still bruise but that will help with the swelling."

Kendal looked at Gemma "Go. We will make it without you today." She then looked at Kozik "You best pray you did not leave a mark on her. Tig does not need another reason to hold a grudge against you."

"I'll come back this afternoon." Kendal said as she began to walk out.

"No you will stay home for the day," Gemma commanded "and you will not work on your house…you will sit and relax and rest."

"It's just a knock to the face I will be fine." Kendal said again partly pleading for this whole mess to go away.

"I know, but you have worked 6 days a week for 10 plus hours and on your off time you do home improvement. I do not know how you are not all wound up." Gemma said half agitated and half amused. "Go and rest. I will check on you later just to make sure you are not working…go…now!"

Kendal took this advise with the strict air of concern it was given; she went home and did as instructed.

Gemma came as promised around 6pm with some Italian food from a local dinner "Thank you! I haven't been there...it smells great," Kendal said waving Gemma in "it's still messy. The contractors finish the major stuff on Friday, I am going to do the painting myself." Kendal placed the bag of garlic goodness on the coffee table and removed a plastic sheet off of the oversized chair she had. "Please sit down."

Gemma was taking looking over everything in sharp detail. Kendal thought she may have thought there was a wire or something of the like the way she was scrutinizing her bare walled, plastic draped, wood laden living area. She finally sat and looked at Kendal "Sit down. We need to talk."

Kendal did so obediently "I don't get you and I don't like that." Gemma declared.

"Ok." Kendal said with concerned furrowed eyebrows. _She wasn't even under cover, how could her cover be blown so soon_?! She thought.

"You are a great mechanic, sweet to everyone, and are not interested in any of the guys. You also got the best of Kozik. Not to mention you came out of nowhere. You are not telling me something and I want to know now." Gemma said in her kindest demanding way.

"Oh, that…well" Kendal took in a big breath and let it out slowly. "Where to begin?" She pondered out but when she looked at the look of scorn on Gemma's face she hurried her pace "First know that I am who I say I am. My name is Kendal, I am Tig's sister, and I have worked in a shop before…all of that is 100% true. I have not lied to you…"

Gemma gave an overly skeptical look that kept Kendal on track with her explanation "I may have left out some details about my previous life though. I did some work for some unsavory people before I moved here, I am overly cautious and try to be very well informed about everything and everyone." she stated plainly "I was trained by my marine father to be protective of everything of mine, especially my body." Kendal said in such a hurry she could not believe she said it at all. "I am here to connect with Tig…but also I want to start a life of my own, now that my father is dead I do not have to live that life anymore and I don't want to."

She couldn't stop herself Gemma must have had 'tell me everything' pheromones because she just kept on telling things she never had, never would, and most likely never should. "I am a damn fine mechanic and I will work in your shop for as long as you want or need me to. Honestly, though I was thinking that a bar or club would be very successful around here because this town seriously lacks an entertainment district." She said blithering on loose thoughts "All these tits and ass and no one has a titty bar in like 50 miles what is that?! People could make so much money its stupid."

Gemma looked at her through discerning eyes at her stray of topic. "Sorry," Kendal continued "I just don't know what else to tell you Gem. I am, who I am. I have a shitty past I am trying to leave behind. AND I do not let anyone touch me like he did…ever…ever."

Gemma nodded her head and stood up "He has his cut, you're going to apologize when you come back to work tomorrow. I am going to look into your past I have ways…I just hope you told me the truth." She then headed for the door and did not look back when she left.

Kendal was shaken, though not she was not exactly sure why. She decided that this was a life, was one she actually wanted. The last 8 weeks in Charming she had sincerely enjoyed, more than she had enjoyed any of the other lives she had led. She could kind of be herself here, she even had future plans here. For Tig's release, and even after that; it was never going to be Mayberry, but Charming was the closest thing she thought she was ever going to get to that.

She swallowed all of her apprehension and said out loud if only to herself "What happens, will happen. You keep going. Nothing is fucked here."

The next day it was like that brooding confessional never happened. She apologized to Koz, who apologized right back and brought her flowers. He asked her out to diner so he could show her that he was not a caveman. Kendal said no but flirted with him a little to not be rude. Piney brought her cookies, and sunglasses. Gemma was the same too.

When Saturday came she picked up Piney and his grandchildren to take them to see Opie, while she visited with Tig. The ride there was wonderful, the kids were shy at first but after some well-chosen questions from Kendal they were non-stop chatterboxes of laughter. By the time they got to the prison Kendal knew about school, hobbies, mild interest, cartoons, and just about everything one could about High School Musical (which of course Piney hated).

Kendal sat a few tables away from them and while they waited for their respective company she made funny faces at Kenny. They did not notice Opie approach until he tapped Kenny's shoulder for a hug and they stopped their face off. Opie gave her a wave and a nod before he sat down with his family.

A chill shot up Kendal's spine…and heat radiated in lower regions. '_Wow_.' she had time to think before Tig was sitting in front of her looking like he was ready to kill someone.

"Who the fuck did that to you?!" He bellowed and it echoed across the room and the guard came forward.

Kendal looked at the guard and he seemed to understand what was angering Tig, and he seemed to agree with it because he went back to his post. "Tig, calm down, it is not what you think…"

"Who?!" he said again it was quieter but filled with more malice.

"Myself…mostly." Kendall said smiling and took his hand. "it's not bad, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and one of the mechanics hands slipped and popped me. I was purely an accident."

"What stupid fucking prospect did…"

But before Tig could finish his sentence another inmate interrupted "You did what?!" Opie was the one being loud this time.

Tig shook his head and put it into his palms. "You have got to be kidding me?" he laughed a little "the old man?"

Kendal shook her head yes and noticed Opie was looking at her she moved her eyes to him only to see him mouth 'I'm sorry'.

She smiled and shrugged to simply convey '_Shit happens_.' Opie smiled at her again and returned to his father whose head was hung in shame. Another chill ran up her spine…this may not be good she thought and then wrote it off seeing as how Opie was in jail and nothing would ever come of it anyway.

The visit continued in the normal vein of laughter and stories, Kendal did leave out the bit about Koz, but included the talk with Gemma. Tig let her know that she was just being protective like she always is and as she should be. "Is she gonna find anything when she looks?"

Kendal had not even contemplated this, and felt very stupid for it. "Depending on how good her contacts are, she will find a few things I have not mentioned…"

"Like?" Tig prodded.

"Well if she looks at financials she will see that I am definitely not poor." she started and looked up to recollect any skeletons Gemma may find.

"She knows how much Dad left us…" Tig said.

"I wasn't even thinking about that…shit."

"You were loaded before that?" Tig asked.

"NO..yeah kind of…" she cursed to herself "I am not rich or anything…I just had a very successful business and I had to invest my money well so no one knew that I was…" She stopped when Tig gave a shake of his head and pointed to his ear "anyway…I do not like to live in luxury or anything. I like to be comfortable but am not a big spender…so with what I had and my inheritance, I am...well off."

Tig looked at her carefully "we will get back to that, anything else?"

"Drunken disorderly & assault when I was 21 and a couple domestic abuse cases that were never filed." Kendal squenched her eyes close… "if they are really good she will find I was a character witness in a murder trial. But that is about it."

"Nothing to worry about then." Tig said patting her hands "Now drunken disorderly and assault? I thought you said you never drank?"

"Any more." Kendal clarified. "I was young. Bobby took me to South Padre island for spring break and I saw a girl hitting on him. So I rectified the situation."

"Rectified the situation?" Tig was intrigued.

Kendal looked down and blushed in shame before she finished the story "I pulled her from him by the hair, told her to give someone else herpes. I then sat on him and began to dry hump him in front of god and everyone. She came back and pulled my hair…" Kendall looked at him conveying agitation "which was really dumb to do... I used daddy's helpful training to get her on the ground in a few short maneuvers. I then stepped on her hair and poured a bottle of vodka on her face…" Kendal finished half way smirking "In retrospect he was not worth it…but he was mine, and fuck her." she finished quickly.

"So we are related." Tig beamed at her.

"That's what I keep telling you." Kendal smiled back.

"And the domestic violence is why dad had to step in?" Tig asked carefully.

"Yeah…later in our relationship when things went bad and I couldn't go back to the old me and him…Bobby got physical…and despite everything dad taught me I just took it." Kendal did not tear up but she looked dreadful when talking about this.

She saw Kenny making faces at her again and she straightened her sorrowful look up and smiled then made another face at him. Tig looked to see who the funny face was for and he made a funny face of his own before the guard rudely interrupted their moment.

Tig turned back around and looked at Kendal "So why don't you have a pack. I mean your old man was a dick but you would make a great mom."

"I tell you I beat up a girl and tried to drown her in vodka for speaking to my boyfriend and let a man beat me and your come back to that is _a great mom_?" Kendal gave Tig a once over.

"Nah not that…you just, are nice, and kids seem to like you." Tig clarified.

"Oooohkay." Kendal chuckled for a bit "I actually cannot have them."

"What like birth control?"

"No like, I had a miscarriage once and they had to clean me out and…I can't have kids now." Kendal said unapologetically but with a hint of sadness.

"that's fucked sis, I am sorry." Tig said realizing he had stepped into a room he did not want to go in.

"Just another chapter of that fucked up part of my life that I am not a part of anymore." Kendal said. "Really that is what made us fall apart. Bobby & I were both so happy when we found out…" Kendal paused she never told anyone this story.

"I was only two and a half months along and I started to bleed one night and Bobby took me to the emergency room." Kendal sniffed "That was the end of the baby…after that I was not interested in much…most of all sex."

"That is understandable." Tig was very uncomfortable with this turn of conversation but he found himself wanting to comfort Kendal…and not to get in her pants. This was very new territory for him.

"Well he understood for about a week after I got out of the hospital, then he cheated…and I forgave him….then he cheated some more, and I forgave him. Then one night he came home and made me have sex with him…and I forgave him. Then he told me he was leaving, and I didn't care, and then he hit me…" Kendal finished in a dazed sort of way.

"He raped you, then left you, and then beat you, when you didn't care?" Tig was more than confused.

"No he said he was going to leave…he never did. He said I was his and I was going to love him. And he beat me when I did not show him how much I loved him." Kendal clarified. "I might have married the sick son of a bitch if dad did not come to see me one day and saw me bruised and tied up…he was more disappointed than concerned. He took me to the hospital and they said that since my miscarriage about 7 months earlier I had some sort of chemical & hormonal imbalance. That's why dad said I wasn't myself. I don't know if it was that or some strange part in my brain broke when I found out I wasn't able to have kids and I lost Damon…that's what I was going to name him if it was a boy." Kendal shook herself "But hey that is old shit I have dealt with and will not have to deal with again. So what's new in here? Any new gang wars or shankings?"

Tig was confused even more by the change in conversation but was happier with this avenue, so he shared the latest prison gossip. The rest of the visit went by quicker than ever. They hugged and said they would see each other next week. When Kendal made it back to the car Piney and the kids were waiting.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." Kendal said as she quickly unlocked her car and everyone got in.

"Not at all…How's Tig? How bad does he want to kill me?" Piney said.

"Oh Piney!" Kendal started to chuckle "Tig would never…he's fine how is your son?"

"Staying strong…" Piney said. "They'll be out soon."

"I know it will be great!" Kendal said as they turned down the highway home.

The ride home was just as talkative for the kids they told Kendal all the plans they had for when Opie got out. Ellie was learning guitar and was doing better than Kenny who was learning drums, and both were doing better than Piney who had to listen to both. Kendal invited both of them over to her house once it was done to have a "jam session". This pleased Piney, Kenny, & Ellie very much.

By the time they got back to Charming there was several future play dates set up for the kids to come over and play at Kendal's. It was a very happy occasion all together.


	4. Kendal Assimilates

**Kendal Assimilates**

The next few weeks were pretty much same for Kendal. Her routine was to wake up, go to the shop, work on bikes and/or cars, joked with the boys, help Tara and Gemma with the odd errand here and there, she did a few projects at her own new home and every Saturday like clock work she went and visited Tig.

She was settling in better than she ever imagined. She was becoming the beloved little sister of Teller Morrow shop. If Gemma's search and brought up anything she must have been okay with it because she never said anything to Kendal about it. On occasion she would watch Abel for Tara and she was watching Ellie and Kenny more and more.

Two months had passed with a joyful air…not happy, but normal, and normal was a joy for Kendal. Then, just as things do, when they are going right, they took a step in the opposite direction.

It was her favorite day of the week and she was outside of Opie's house Ellie & Kenny ran to the car, jumped in, and buckled up. "Hey guys, I brought you some muffins." Kendal smiled and passed back a basket of muffins "Aaand milk!" then handed them two bottles of milk.

They cheered, smiled and said "thank you" through half muffin filled mouths. Piney made his was slowly out to the car and bent down to speak to Kendal through the window. "Kay darlin', me and the kids are not gonna be able to come with you."

A chorus of "No! AHH!" came from the back seat.

"Oh, that's disappointing. Why?" Kendal asked.

"There is some urgent club business, I am going to take the kids to Gemma's." Piney said.

"But I want to see Daddy." Ellie said in a pitiful tone.

"I know baby girl we will go see him next week." Piney said to his granddaughter who looked like someone just threw her ice cream cone away.

"It's okay I can take them." Kendal just could not stand that look on their face, "and if you are not done with the club when I get back I will take them to my place."

"I couldn't ask you to..." Piney started.

"You see that is the beauty of it…I am offering." Kendal said with a smile. "Have a muffin." she reached to the back and grabbed a muffin and handed it to Piney. The kids and Kendal gave him unbelievably sickly sweet smiles.

"Well, I guess that settles it." Piney waved his imaginary white flag, "Tell Ope, I love him and I am thinking of him. Tell him the Club is doing okay; tell him that his mom sends her love too…and…"

"Piney, it's one Saturday. You will see him next week." Kendal smiled. "We're off…" they all smiled and waved as they drove away.

The ride was fun, they laughed and told jokes all the way there. At one point Ellie said there were girls at school who made fun of her. Kendal told her to say a few things right back and never feel bad about who she was or who her family was. Ellie nodded and smiled. Kenny went on about how he and Kendal and he almost have the same name and how it would be funny if people got them confused, it really entertained him.

When they got to the jail they encountered a speed bump. Kendal had to stay with the kids during their visit, and if she stayed with them she couldn't see Tig. She tried her best to finagle it anyway possible to do both, she flirted with the guards, tried to bribe the guards, but those were the laws and these guards were very misguidedly moral.

She waved her own white flag and signed in to see one Harry Winston.

Opie came around the corner and smiled when he saw his kids, and then looked over and his brows arched in confusion but his smiled stayed in place. "Hey guys." The kids jumped up and ran to give their dad a hug. Kendal stood up and when Opie approached with 2 children growths she stuck her hand out for a good hand shake. Opie kind of gave a giggle and pulled her into a light squeeze. "I don't know the circumstances but I know you brought them to see me so..." He squeezed one more time and then let go. "Thank you."

Kendal smiled and sat back down, the kids followed after. After a few salutations between father and children Opie turned to her "So…what are the circumstances?"

"Not really sure, Piney couldn't make it because there was club business," a look of concern fell on his face, Kendal waved it away and said "No, no no, nothing bad, he also wanted me to tell you the following…" she cleared her voice as Opie watched with interest, she continued like a good secretary "I love you…" his eyes widened "…ah I mean _he_ loves you, and _he_ is thinking of you, the club is doing ok, you mom sends her love too." She smiled as she finished.

"What about Lyla?" Opie asked lightly.

"Who?" Kendal asked sincerely.

"Lyla, my fiancé?" Opie asked and the kids started to talk loudly over each other and over any answer Kendal could give. "What?!" Opie asked his kids.

"Lyla had to go and see her mother." Ellie said.

Opie scoffed. "Why are you lying to me Ellie?"

Ellie made a yip that sounded like a squeak toy deflating. "Sorry daddy." Opie glared hard at all three of them. "Grandpa said to not let you know about Lyla."

"Tell me what about Lyla?" Opie asked a little too harshly "it's okay honey, you can tell me." his voice softened.

"Lyla hasn't been around for a while." Kenny said.

Kendal looked confused, but when Opie said fiancé she remembered overhearing the guys talking about Opie's old lady taken advantage of the prison clause, and how she hadn't gone to see him. It didn't occur to her that they had not told Opie.

Opie sighed and under his breath said "prison clause." He slammed his fists on the table. Kendal gave Opie a genuine look of regret and apology.

It took him about 5 seconds to shake it off; right about the time Ellie looked down shamefully and said "I'm sorry, daddy. It's our fault."

Both Opie and Kendal said in unison "No it's not!" Kendal covered her mouth and tried to make herself seem invisible.

Opie reached over and used his forefinger to lift his daughters head "Baby girl, that's on me. You and your brother did nothing wrong."

Ellie started to tear up and she ran across the table and hugged her daddy and cried. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, daddy."

"It's okay baby, everything will be okay." he said as he hugged her and stroked her back. He looked at Kenny who was obviously trying to be a man and swallowing back the tears that were obviously building up. "Come here big man." Kenny ran over and joined his sister. After a minute the kids went back to their seats and the conversation started to flow like normal.

All of them chatted it up about school, the shop, and everyone they knew. Opie told them about Uncle Jax, Clay, and Tig and told them to make sure to tell Gemma and Tara when they saw them. When they talked about Tig Kendal took great interest.

"I cannot see him today, please tell him that I tried but the guards are real A, double S, H-O-L-E's" Kendal said with and ugly look to the guard by the door.

Ellie and Kenny laughed. "What?" Opie and Kendal looked at them.

"We _can_ spell." Ellie said. Opie tried to hold in a laugh but couldn't. His laughter filled the air, Kendal, Ellie, and Kenny all joined in. After a minute the laughter died down.

"Anyways…" Kendal continued with a big smile. "I can't see him today and I won't be back next week because Gemma has me working a booth at the Fundraiser for the school."

"Oh no, what does she have you roped into doing?" Opie asked.

"Face painting." Kendal smiled and shrugged.

"Dad you should see her she is amazing! She watched us the other night and she drew a mask on me and drew some tattoos on Kenny." Ellie exclaimed.

"She did? What kind of tattoo's did you get little man?" Opie asked.

"I got a reaper! And a heart that said Momma! And barbwire on my arms! And she put 'Biker 2 Be' on my knuckles." Opie looked a little choked up about the Mom part but seemed thoroughly amused by the rest.

"Needless to say Gemma used them as my references. I hope I don't disappoint anyone." Kendal smiled innocently.

"From what I hear about you…you are not one to disappoint." Opie smiled and the look he gave her, mad her have goosebumps all over, and the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She almost forgot he could do that...his eyes had a trigger than could make her whole body ache for things she shouldn't think of.

"That's a pedal stool I am bound to fall from sooner or later." she smiled at him innocently. "Please tell Tig I am so sorry and I will see him in 2 weeks rain or shine."

Opie agreed to let Tig know and the conversation went on for another 10 minutes before the guard gave them a 2 minute warning. "I swear I'm going to TP that guys house, and poison his lawn." Kendal said under her breath. The kids did not hear here but she was pretty sure Opie did.

There were a lot of tears as Ellie and Kenny gave their dad good-bye hugs. Opie gave Kendal a real hug to and said in her ear. "I know you had to give up seeing Tig to let me visit my kids today, I can't thank you enough."

Kendal wrapped her arms around Opie and answered "Don't mention it, sorry about the whole Lyla thing…She is a silly woman to miss out on your family."

"Thanks." Opie let her go and she and the kids left.

After about 10 minutes of silence in the car Kendal said they needed pizza and ice cream immediately. The kids were in better spirits after that. She found a Chuck E Cheese on the way back to Charming and stopped for a few hours. While the kids were busy playing and eating Kendal called Piney to let him know what was going on.

Piney was short on the phone, he said that it was fine that she took the kids out and told her to bring them home when they got back to town if he wasn't there, the kids knew were the emergency key was. He would be there as close to 9pm as he could. She told him that was fine and he did not have to hurry or worry.

By the time the kids finished eating and playing and with the drive back they were out like light when they got home. Kendal reviewed her options and decided to wake up Ellie so she could get the key and open the door and she would carry in Kenny.

Once she put Kenny in his bed took off his shoes and tucked him in she sat on the couch with Ellie. Ellie wanted to talk to her about her dad, Kendal did her best to give her honest answers a child of Ellie's age could understand. She told her that her dad and Lyla had a complicated relationship and it had nothing to do with either her or Kenny. Kendal also said that if Ellie ever had a problem or needed help and she couldn't tell her grandfather she could tell her, and she would help anyways she could.

Ellie was very happy to hear that and then poured out all her problems on Kendal. She said that girls at school picked on her a lot. For her mom not being around, for her dad being in jail, for her being overweight and wearing little girl clothes, and she felt like she could never tell her dad or grandpa because they would not understand. The boys also picked on her and called her names. Kendal hugged her and comforted her and said she would help her and not to worry.

They stayed up talking for about another hour until Ellie talked herself right to sleep. Kendal brushed her hair away from her face and tucked her in on the couch. She moved to the last cushion and took a deep breath to absorb her whole day, within 5 minutes she was sound asleep too.

When Kendal woke up the next morning she was cuddled up next to Ellie and Kenny in a big bed. She was a bit confused how she got there but it felt warm so she laid there a minute more before she got up and followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen.

Piney was sitting at the table staring into the black depths of his coffee mug. He looked up to see Kendal rubbing her eyes, he stood up and grabbed a mug for her and poured her a cup. "You take it black?"

"With milk and sugar. I like it sweet like me." She said with a yawn. Piney took the milk out of the refrigerator and put it on the table, followed by a bag of sugar from the pantry. Kendal sat and doctored up her coffee. "Thanks. How did I get into bed with the kids?"

"When I got home I woke you and Ellie up, and told Ellie to get to bed she said no and grabbed you like a lifesaver, you were still sleepy and said it was fine so I pushed you into the big bed in Opie's room. Sometime in the night Kenny must have crawled in with you." Piney said.

"Oh." Kendal yawned again "they're really good kids." then took a sip of coffee.

"They really took a shine to you." Piney said with a worried tone "How was the visit yesterday?"

Kendal explained everything to him. He said he was sorry she did not get to see Tig. She said she was sorry about spilling the beans on Lyla. Piney said he really liked Lyla and thought she was good for Opie, until about 3 months after he went to jail she went back to her old life, and stopped seeing the kids or Opie. He didn't want Opie to worry or lose focus on what was important so he had made up stories and lies to make him think everything was the same.

Kendal understood and said "He looked like he took it well…enough. Something about this mysterious 'prison clause.'" she considered her next question before asking it because it meant she wanted a better understanding of the life style and not just the basic rules of the club. "What exactly is in this piece of biker contract-um?"

Piney started to explain the linear thought behind it but explained that is was more of a loop-hole than a strict binding law. Kendal understood the theory, but considering the fact that Opie was only inside for 18 months, she was a bit disgusted. "How could she up and leave kids like Ellie & Kenny?" that part she absent mindedly said out loud and the inner thought went on '_not to mention a man like that..._'.

"You are preaching to the choir." Piney said.

About that time a little voice said "I'm hungry."

And another said "Grandpa, can I have coffee today?"

"No missy, you may not. What cereal do you kids want?" Piney said standing up and getting two bowls out.

Kendal looked at Piney and asked "Let's go out to breakfast. My treat…then me and Ellie are going to go shopping. Maybe catch a movie. I need some well-deserved girl time."

"There is no need for that." Piney said.

"Piney," Kendall had the most peculiar voice it was firm but pleading "I want to take Ellie a girl day. She and I need it."

"Well," Piney was a bit shocked at her statement or plea if you have it, "okay. Ellie & Kenny go get ready Kay girl is taking us to get some grub."

After breakfast Kendal & Ellie went to the mall. With some time, clever negotiation, and the promise of future manual labor and favors, Ellie hesitantly agreed to let Kendal buy her a new wardrobe or at least enough items to make her current wardrobe look anew. They were more teenager clothes, less pink and princesses, more bands & blouses. Also during this feminine salute to commercialism, they got manicures, pedicures, and a lot of girl talk. Kendal gave Ellie a few highlights on how to handle bullies of both the boy and girl persuasion.

When she returned Ellie later that night Ellie felt as spoiled as the other girls she went to school with. Kendall felt really good about the day, as well as, their plans to hang out again. The next day Kendal ordered Ellie a book on how to play guitar, one about songwriting, and a nice beginners guitar online; and out of fairness she got Kenny some videos on drums and a small snare pad to start with.

Wednesday she went to the principal's office with Piney to pick up Ellie, who was being suspended. Kendall told Piney it was her fault and she wanted to explain and apologize to Ellie and the principal.

Apparently, one girl told Ellie that she was fat to which Ellie replied "I can lose weight, but you will always be stupid and ugly." Another girl said that she was an orphan and Ellie said "I'm not an orphan, my mom loved me, and my dad is still around and loves me very much. Do you even know who your daddy is?" Needless to say both girls started to cry and Ellie went to the office.

After a few minutes of apology they settled that Ellie would have detention the next week after school. When the meeting was about over Kendal asked what punishment the other girls were going to receive. The principal was shocked and said they would not be receiving any.

Piney was indignant and so was Kendal who simply asked "And why not?" in an agitated tone.

"They did nothing wrong." the principal said.

"Well if they did nothing wrong, neither did Ellie." Kendal said "Ellie, shouldn't be punished for her accuracy."

The principal looked aghast, horribly affronted at Kendal's shrewd way of seeing the issue. Kendal held to her guns with a fighting mad Piney cheering behind her. They left with Ellie and no punishment.


	5. Sometimes you cannot run from the past

**Sometimes you cannot run from the past**

Saturday was a little sad for Kendal but she worked right on through it, she helped Gemma set up most of the tents and booths. Then she went to painting faces for some of the staff so the kids and guests would be excited about it. When people started to arrive she was bombarded by children, teens, and even adults. It was 4 hours before she took a 5 minutes break. She started again and it was going on another 2 hours of solid smiling and painting.

Ellie was next in line. Kendal finished on the boy who wanted a batman mask and stood up to give Ellie a hug. Ellie wanted butterfly wings on her face with purple and pink. Kendal went to, making this a master piece of a face painting. Her and Ellie were laughing and having a good time as if no one else was in line.

From behind her she heard Tara and Gemma saying something about good thing they were loyal, and something about the prison clause. This sparked Kendal's interest to she looked over to see what was going on. The two women were ogling someone in the crowd. She peeked around the side of her booth to see a tall man with black hair in a navy blue muscle shirt and black slacks. He looked like something out of an Italian supermodel catalog.

Kendal froze and turned her face immediately. She finished Ellie's make-up in a rush and gave her a big hug. "Ellie girl you listen to me. You find your brother, you go find your grandfather and tell him you need to go home okay. I love you so much." she gave her a hug.

"But why?" Ellie asked.

"No time for questions. Just do as I say. Okay?" Ellie nodded and left. Kendal then called to everyone in line "I'm gonna take a break kids I will be back soon."

Kendal was shaken she took a few deep breaths and made an impromptu plan. The studly man all the girls were looking at was an assassin known as 'Handsome Bobby' and her ex. She was not scared to see him, the reason Kendal was in a cold sweat is because if he could find her…it was pretty much open season on who else could.

She was pretty sure no one wanted to hurt her...they just wanted her to go back to her old business, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. Now, she had to focus on her present problem. Bobby was handsome, strong, and deadly and only a few booths away, he was however, dim-witted and a sucker for girls...especially her.

Improv was not her strong suit, but she knew she could handle this...carefully.

She got up slowly and keeping her back to the crowd made her way over to Gemma. "Hey, I need to talk to you."

Gemma said "Just one second, baby."

Kendal stepped in front of Gemma "I am sorry, but now, is gonna have to work." Gemma looked shocked and annoyed and was about to open her mouth and say something but Kendal cut her off by giving her a hug and saying quickly in her ear. "You have been great. Thank you for all your help, tell Clay to let Tig know that if he doesn't see me in a while..." she paused a frowned for just a second "...I am sorry and I will see him soon, if for any reason I am not back when he is out do NOT come looking for me. I will be okay."

Tara stood up hearing what she had said and looked confused. Kendal gave Tara a hug too "you take care of them Tara. Make sure Ellie & Kenny are taken care of…not to mention the guys." Before either of the other girls could say a thing Kendal was running towards 'Handsome Bobby' "Bobby!" He opened his arms up and caught her as she jumped into his arms.

They spun around "Hey doll." Kendal gave him a movie like kiss and then jumped down. The whole fair seemed to watch them. Kendal's smile was a pasted on firmly as Bobby wrapped his arm around her and whispered in her ear "You miss me?"

"I always miss you." she said giving him a light peck on the cheek.

Bobby walked her back to the booth she sprung from. "Who are your friends?" He asked as they stepped up.

"Gemma Morrow." Gemma put her hand out.

Bobby grabbed it and kissed it. "Gemma is my boss lady, she just let me off from face painting and this is Tara she is Gemma's daughter in law." Kendal was acting like a distracted bad attitude teen. She was staring at Bobby and playing with the back of his neck. Gemma and Tara looked confused. Kendal had never acted like this before and with her last hurried words they did not get a good vibe from Bobby. "So I can take off now, right?" Kendal said looking at Gemma.

"Tell Kozik, and you can go." Gemma said in a proper boss's tone. Hoping that Kozik would understand what was going on and give Kendal an out.

"Babe, you can stay, I didn't come to take you away…" Bobby smiled.

All three women understood the unspoken meaning behind that. "But my i'm done and...I want to go, with you" she gave him and adoring look and nibbled on his ear "why would I stay?"

"Alright, babe. Who is this Kozik?" Bobby said looking around.

"I am." Bobby turned around and there was Kozik in full biker stature and SAMCRO regalia. "Who are you?" the tough guy tone Kozik had would be intimidating for most, but Bobby just laughed.

"Look at this tough guy." Bobby said smiling and patting Kozik on the back. "I get it, man. Thanks for watching out for my girl here. I'm Bobby DeNirro, no relation. Nice to meet you." Bobby held out his hand and Kozik just stared him down.

"You good, Kay Girl?" Kozik asked.

"Peachy keene. Gemma told me, to tell you, I'm out of here." Kendal said wrapping both arms around Bobby's neck and pressing against him. Kozik looked very disapproving and moved aside.

Bobby and Kendal swaggered off. They got into a convertible and drove off while everyone watched. Kendal waved as they drove away.

* * *

It had been a week since Gemma had seen Kendal. She received a voice mail letting her know she was okay and would not be at work "for a bit". Nothing less, nothing more and absolutely no hint of duress.

Kendal was in a hotel room in Las Vegas. She had a meeting with her Uncle Theo, Jimmy the Mouth, Handsome Bobby, and his father Bobby the Barber. She had no fear for her life, more that her earlier life choices and prior career would dictate the rest of her life and she would be stuck with it forever. She was touching up her make up waiting for her alarm to tell her when to leave.

Despite the scene in Charming her flirtatious behavior with Bobby ended once they hit the city limits. She was all business from then out much to Bobby's disappointment. He told her that the guys just wanted to make sure she was okay and check in with her; they missed her business as well. Then he laid on how he missed her and how he still loved her and all the things abusive men say to entrap their prey. She was very skeptical about the whole thing; and did not buy one thing about Bobby's 'love.'

When her alarm went off she grabbed the phone, her purse, and headed downstairs to a dining room. When she approached the table everyone was already there and they all stood up and waited for her to sit.

"Kendal Leigh you are as beautiful as ever." a man in his fifties with a gentleman's demeanor and a ruffians look said.

"Uncle Theo, you are forever the charmer." Kendal said. This began an hour of very pleasant dinner conversation. All parties laughed and told stories of her father and the many adventures and jobs they all had against each other or together.

When the main course was cleared and dessert was brought out the real conversation began. "Kendal, we know you want to put your dad's death behind you. We all want that for you too." Jimmy the mouth a man in his 40's with an Italian suit and a sincere voice continued "but you must understand our concerns. You know the business inside and out, you have helped all of us in our own practice, and we need to know what your plans are...for our safety."

"I know Jimmy, I want you all to know that nothing would ever make me endanger any of you. You guys are still my family..." she smiled at each except Bobby Jr. "I just want to live without being afraid that someone I am close to is going to die on a job I sent them on." Kendal said. "I need friends, I need a life that isn't surrounded by the business of death. I wanted to get settled into my new life before I considered keeping up with my old one. I haven't decided if I am closing my business, I just need time to rebuild and restart." Kendal said looking around at all of them.

"We want you back now." Handsome Bobby said.

"I wish I could. If I just came back now I would be ineffective and distracted. I need some time." Kendal said again in a more persuasive tone.

"You should just do as you're told come home and get back to work." Bobby said.

"What?!" Kendal raised her voice "I am not your slave or some bitch you turn out for information. You are not my pimp you are my client. I decide who I work for and who I don't..." she almost snarled "If I get back in the business it is my choice whom I take on, and you are not looking to pretty there babe." the last word dripped with hatred

Theo stepped in "Bobby, you watch your tongue. We are here to make sure she is okay and tell her that when she is ready we will be here."

Bobby Sr spoke up "And if she is never ready to come back?"

"That's her choice." Jimmy the mouth said. "we need some collateral and she's out."

"You know where I am now. So...I guess, I am either in and you stay away, or I am out and really have to disappear...you know I am not giving you any collateral...mostly because I don't have any." Kendal said, hoping no one would catch her lie about collateral. Which to these men meant a life they would take if you ever spoke of the business. Everyone looked at her and only Theo had the decency to look apologetic. "Okay, in 6-7 months I will be up and running. No one looks at the Charming city limit sign." she acquiesced.

"Same rules as last time...I will get a hold of you when I have an offer, Sánchez brokers the deal, I give you the information and the research. I filter your cash through your TPA's and cover businesses. I let your CPA's know the amounts going where and any expenses you encounter. I get 10% off the top amount not the net, Sánchez stays at 5%."

"Six months!? That's bullshit!" Handsome Bobby said.

"And he's out." Kendal said.

Jimmy the mouth looked around all nodded their head "these terms are agreeable."

Handsome Bobby looked like he was going to explode "Dad?!"

"You finally pissed off her off more than she loved you son…" Bobby Sr. chortled "You step anywhere near Charming again she has the grounds to do whatever."

"But that bitch has to take my business." Bobby said indignantly.

Kendal finished her Champagne "This bitch doesn't have to do anything but be pretty and go home." she stood up and started to leave "if I smell your cologne in my town I will find you and you will wish my old man was back because I will cut your dick off and wave it in your face before I blow your fucking brains out."

"Ooooohs" went around the table.

Kendal turned back to the table "I will be talking to you gentleman soon and tell John the Gun if he wants me to judge this year I would love to, or I will be contestant…and I might have a couple new entrants this year. Is it still 5G's to enter right?"

Theo smiled big and had an air of pride when he answered "Sure is, and may I say the day they let you enter is the day you sweep all those cocksuckers."

Kendal smiled big and went back to give Theo a kiss on the cheek, nodded at Jimmy and Bobby Sr. completely ignoring the other Bobby. She excused herself and made her way back to her room. She grabbed her stuff and headed out the door again.

After a taxi ride to another hotel she called Gemma at home. "Hey Gem, do I still have a job?"

The two girls talked for a while Kendal not releasing too much information but just enough to explain she was sorry and she had no other option. Gemma did not ask for any details but said she was welcome back and she had a job. She said she would be there for her shift in the morning. She rented a car and drove all night. Once she saw the city limit sign she exhaled. When she got to her house Kozik was there waiting for her.

"Hey beautiful, where you been?" Kendal ran to Kozik and gave him a big hug.

"I missed you." Kendal said, and let go of him. "You were a marine right?"

"Yes." Kozik said. Instead of doing what his instincts were telling him to (kiss her and much more) he just held her chastely and securely.

Kendal finally let go and pulled out a glock "will you help me clear my house?"

Kozik's eyes widened and his eyebrows went all the way up. "yes ma'am." Kozik pulled out his own hand gun and followed Kendal to the door. Both of them knelt on either side, Kendal took out her keys and made no noise as she unlocked the door.

Kendal took the left and Kozik took the right, they went room by room until they cleared the house, then they moved to the guest house in the back. The only thing they found was a note that said

Miss you already.

Love,

B

Kendal scoffed and stomped.

"You okay?" Kozik asked.

"Yeah, I have something to take care of before Tig gets out." Kendal said. "I can't have him cleaning up any of my messes."

"If you need any help, I am here." Kozik said and pulled her into a hug.

"No...this is just a little spilled milk." Kendal said and pulled out of the hug "but thanks for clearing the house with me. You have the movement and the instincts of a good marine."

"We are never gonna let anyone hurt you. Next time that asshole comes around here…" Kendal kissed him, she wasn't sure if it was to shut him up or to wash the last week of her grimy past away with something new, but she was positive he didn't care which it was.

His lips were firm and kind. The gentleness and warmth he gave her was stimulating to say the least. It pained her to break away from the kiss but she did. Kendal then patted him on the back and said "that will not be a problem..." he did not let her say much else before he was kissing her again and this time it was more demanding and forceful, she whimpered as she gave into him. She had not been kissed in a very long time and though she knew it was wrong and she needed to stop she wrapped her arms around him and pressed closer to him.

Kozik stopped kissing her for just a second to say "You are so beautiful…"

That moment was all it took for Kendal to rebuild her resolve again, it was difficult but she pushed herself away and said "I will see you at work in the morning." Kozik blinked in shock "And, Kozik? Thank you."

Kozik left without another word but furrowed brows and what looked like a novel written on his face. Kendal locked up the whole house and went to bed with her gun right by her. When she woke up the next morning she went straight to work and was there an hour early. When Gemma came in she apologized again and put a little extra oomph into her work.

Around lunch time Gemma called her into the office "Well?"

"Well, I know it is my first day back, but I have worked extra hard today so I can cut out about 10 minutes early…I was hoping to go pick up the kids with Piney…I was worried I scared them." Kendal said, and it was 100% true.

"You know damn well that is not what I am talking about." Gemma said staring daggers into her.

"Sorry." Kendal said and hung her head. "Well, I took some unscheduled vacation to settle some unfinished business of my dad's…and I didn't want Bobby to cause a scene."

"Bobby, being your ex, who beat you?" Gemma said sternly, but with eyes full of concern.

"Yeah….but that was years ago…" Kendal shrugged it off and tried to convey her sincerity of nonchalance.

"I don't need any more trouble here, but we can and will keep you safe, I don't want to see that little shit around here anymore or I will shoot him myself." Gemma said.

Kendal did not want to cry, she didn't want to be so moved by Gemma's protective feelings over her. But that did not stop the tears in the corners of her eyes from falling as she said "Thanks Gem."

Gemma gave Kendal a hug and said "You can leave early," she sighed and patted her back "get back to work" and Kendal did just that.

After work she went with Piney who as always was outspoken about his opinion which was as such: "That piece of shit just better be glad all of SAMCRO was not there that day…he would of learned a hell of a lesson."

When Kenny saw Kendal he ran to her and gave her a hug. She held on to him and said she never thought she missed a man so much in her life. He beamed at her and held her hand on the way back to the car. When they got to the middle school to pick up Ellie, she was stand offish at first but when Kendal apologized for leaving so abruptly, and commented that she needed to know what that snotty blonde Candace said about Ellie's new clothes…she caved and started to gush and say that she even thinks that Greg Slider likes her.

They took Kendal back to the shop and she promised to make them dinner and have a sleep over on Friday night, her pool was done now and she was dying to play some Marco Polo to break it in.

Tig had given her a firm talking to, that Saturday, after she told him most of the truth. She promised nothing would happen in Charming. He said he would have to speak with Clay and more than likely they would have her to church (and then he explained that church meant a meeting with the members of SAMCRO) when everyone was out in about a few weeks and the following Saturday he confirmed that is what they would do. It took about a week for things to go back to normal or at least as they had been.

However, after work she was no longer working on her house. She now had a contractor and crew to do that while she was having things shipped from her old office and putting together plans for her new office. She had a top of the line uber security system installed and to go the extra mile she snuck around and placed wireless cameras and receivers on both ends of her street and a few around town.

And all the while she was also planning arranging things for Tig's release which was coming up really quickly. One week before everyone was released, Kendal was at the club house speaking with some crow eaters about the limo ride she wanted for Tig and how she needed some ladies for the ride home. She had to clarify several times that she would not be in the Limo and Tig was her brother. She finally got the girls to understand and had 3 girls ready for the job. Kendal was patting herself on the back for being a great sister when Kozik stomped in and through his pack in the corner.

Kendal had seen very little of Kozik since they kissed and when she did see him he looked wounded so she did not broach any subject beyond the shop and the guys release "You alright there, sunshine?" Kendal asked.

"There's gonna be a fucking attack on the prison run!" Kozik said enraged.

"What?!" Kendal asked her hair standing on end. She walked behind the bar grabbed a shot glass and poured Koz a shot of Jack. Piney walked in and came over to the bar, Kendal poured him a shot too.

"I don't know how but the release date for the guys is on the street and there is word that they are planning to run us down." Kozik said. "We have kept this club strong and but they like the way it is now. They think SAMCRO is a bit quieter…they are insane to think they can take us out!"

Kendal knew she was out of her depth, this was the first time anyone in the club ever spoke about business in front of her. She dutifully refilled the shot glasses as Happy and a few prospects joined, she also listened and noted everything. She tried a strategy that her dad called suggestive tactics, and it worked. By the end of the night she had put her plan in their heads.

Piney walked over to Kendal as she was getting ready to go "You are pretty smart there, missy."

Kendal looked at him innocently "What?"

Piney drew her in a big hug "I don't know how you know this stuff, but thank you."

Kendal smiled and shrugged off his words "You are a sweet drunk, Piney." he smiled at her with a knowing air.

They spent the rest of the week preparing and when Clay called Gemma that she let him know that it was going to be bumpy but do as the guys said and it would all work out.


	6. The Big Day

**The Big Day**

The release date came faster than they thought, but everyone seemed ready. They all got into their respective vehicles and made the drive to their planned positions. A black van driven by a Rats with Kozik in the back pulled up to the jail and waited as one by one the members of SAMCRO were released.

Each jumped in the van and undressed pulled bulletproof vests on and redressed. Tig was the last one out. "Where's Ken she said she was gonna meet me?"

"Get in." this came from Jax. Tig climbed in and changed like the rest.

Once he was in the van they left, around the second turn they spotted a nondescript navy blue sedan following them. They pulled into a moderately busy gas station, and the sedan parked across the street. A big moving truck pulled up on the other side of pumps and blocked the line of sight from the car to the van.

A couple of minutes later the van left and the sedan followed. Unbeknownst to the sedan the big truck pulled out behind them and was following them at a distance; Kozik was now behind its wheel. All of the other guys were in the gas station feasting on the joys a convenience store offers and waiting for their real rides to arrive.

The van continued down the highway and exited down a side street for a more private route on a two lane street. All other vehicles had thinned out; it was just the van, the blue sedan, and the truck pulling up the rear.

The truck sped up and bumped the sedan at the same time the van locked his breaks. The sedan was trapped on both ends and spun out of control, and landed in a ditch. The other 2 vehicles kept driving and were gone within seconds.

Down a road not far from where the car ran off the road Happy and Chibs waited; when the van drove by they turned and drove to the wrecked car. They got out of their unmarked sedan and walked over to the confused gunmen. Happy immediately shot 3 of the four in the head and leveled his gun at the fourth.

"Who sent you?" Chibs demanded.

A thick Hispanic accent spat "Fuck you."

Happy then shot him; he & Chibs began to search the car for any clues and found nothing; they doused the car with gasoline and lit it on fire. Chibs pulled out a burner phone and called Kendal to let her know she needed to call 911. Then they sped off towards the club house because they did not want to miss the party.

Kendal called 911 on another burner phone "Yes, um I just saw a horrible accident but the men where all" she paused cleared her throat and sounded the whitest she could "Mexican, and I was just too afraid to stop." She gave them an approximate location and the general description Chibs had given her. And just for good measure she added "Please send male paramedics I would hate it if anyone got raped." then she hung up and laughed.

Kendal sighed in relief and gave the all clear signal to everyone. Two minutes later a limo and the uhaul full of bikes pulled up to the gas station. As each lady got out of the Limo their SAMCRO loved one eyes lit up.

Gemma ran to Clay and they had a hug & kiss reunion right out of a movie. Tara ran to Jax and had a similar romantic meeting. Tig and Kendal were more chaste, and shared a giant hug and a spin. Piney and Opie gave each other a firm fatherly hug and as the prospects unloaded the bikes they helped.

Tig went to help as well "Oh no, I don't think so." Kendal said.

"Wha?" Tig looked at her.

"Your license is still suspended. That's why you get this ride." She pointed to the Limo and just then 3 scantily clad young women popped out of the sun roof. "Am I a good little sister or what?!" Everyone laughed.

As Tig grabbed his heart and said "You are the best!" He then dived in head first, popped out the sun roof "Gentleman, I will see you at the club! Good Day!" The limo started to pull away and Tig dived back in. The laughing continued as he rode away.

Clay gave his handle bars a strange look, Gemma whispered in his ear that Kendal modified his handles so he did not have to keep a tight hold on them to help relieve his arthritis. His eyes went up in appreciation and he nodded thanks to Kendal and she smiled and bowed her head.

Tara hoped on the back of Jax's bike, wrapped her arms around him and said "Take me home, or loose me forever Big Daddy."

"You got it Little Momma." Jax said and took off waving good-bye.

"Come on old man, take me home." Gemma said.

"Who are you calling old?" Clay said speeding off with Gemma cheering behind him.

Everyone that was left gave a chuckle. "We will see you at home son." Piney said climbing in the truck next to the prospect.

"See ya' pop." Opie said as he looked around and saw Kendal walking toward the truck. "You gotta ride?"

"I was going to squeeze between your dad and Stinky." Kendal said.

"You ever ride on a bike?" Opie asked.

"I have." Kendal said.

Opie handed her his helmet and said "Hop on."

"Thanks." and Kendall got on the bike.

They were all on the state highway and Kendal was enjoying the ride her hands were on Opie's side, not wrapped around him as she was ever so tempted to do. Her phone vibrated and she tapped Opie on the shoulder showing him it was Kozik, he slowed down and pulled over. "What's up?" Kendal listened and then said "okay. I will." She hung up and then yelled "FUCK!"

"What's going on?" Opie asked.

"Two more headed our way…they are on bikes…" Kendal said. "I am just going to have to break my promise." she went back to Opie and smiled and added a load of sugar into the next question she asked "So, you can drive this really well?"

Opie smirked "Pretty well... What was your promise?"

"Don't you worry about that..." Kendal lifted her sundress to reveal a thigh holster with the smallest gun she owned, astutely named Baretta nano checked the safety and then tucked it into her bra. She got back on the bike this time facing Opie, she pulled off his the helmet and put it back on him, and put her hair in a tight bun. She boosted herself onto his lap, wrapped her legs around him and wrapped her arms around him moving her head to one side and said into his ear. "Can you drive with me like this?"

"Yes ma'am." Opie said clearing his throat and starting the bike.

"Let the others get ahead a bit and let everyone see your cut." She instructed and then kissed him on the cheek. "Don't worry I am going to get you home to your kids."

He nodded and did as she instructed, it was an unexciting ride until she saw the first bike. "There they are, I think…" She pressed closer to him and said "pardon me, this is going to get a little…intimate." then she started to grind on him in a pronounced fashion. Anyone looking would think that they were in the throes of passion. Meanwhile Kendal had her gun pulled out and was hiding it until the bikers came back into sight.

"Slow down." She demanded and Opie obliged "Get into the right lane…feel free to swerve a little, we having a good time" She said again changing the rhythm of her movements, intensifying the faux foreplay.

Opie cleared his throat, "Can you tell me what's going on?" he asked and then mumbled "I have been in jail for a while...sorry" he was finding it hard to control his body's reaction, especially the more convincing Kendal was trying to be.

"No worries cowboy," Kendal said "There are 3 of them they are separating to surround us…kill you… then I suppose, move on."

"And how is our fake fucking going to stop that." Opie said intentionally drifting from side to side but never losing control of the task of 'good driving.'

"Well you feel this gun here?" She pressed all the way against him.

"Yeah I feel that." Opie said gruffly.

"I am a damn good shot. Listen to what I say, then we can make our get away." Kendal said and pulled back to look him in the face. "Trust me." Opie again nodded, she buried her head into his neck and shoulder in what must have looked like ecstasy because none of the bikers even attempted a stealthy approach.

Four shots rang out and all of their front tires were blown out before they figured out where the shots were coming from. "Go, baby Go!" Kendal said changing her grasp from one of seduction and sex to that of security.

Opie looked over his shoulder to see all the bikers running off the road surrounded by sparks and shooting after them. He sped up and drove down some back streets before circling to the main highway, miles down the road.

They were miles away when Opie pulled over again. "Hey are you okay?" he slowly pried them apart.

Kendal had tears running down her face "I couldn't kill them." she said and buried her face into her hands.

Her phone rang again and this time Opie answered, "No, no, we took care of it, yeah were on the side of eighty five….No she's fine…just a little shook up…I got her…we'll be there soon." Opie hung up and then wrapped both arms around her. "It's okay, it's okay, you did great. Look at me." Kendal removed her head from his shoulder and looked at him. He wiped the tears from her eyes and said "you were wonderful, everything's okay now." He pressed her to him in a hug then kissed her forehead then her cheek.

She kissed his cheek too, then again, then they knew they were kissing like teenagers. Their hands were roaming all over each other and their kiss was a never-ending pool of tension, neither dared to surface for air. After a few minutes they broke the kiss and both took deep breathes both muttering obscenities.

"I'm sorry..." Opie spoke first "my adrenaline is all pumped up, you were on top of me…I've been in jail …emotions are high…and…"

Kendal put her finger on his mouth. "Don't be sorry it's my fault…you are a good guy…and…"

He was kissing her again. Slowly exploring her willing, trembling sweet mouth, it was very controlled, as time seeped pass the control did too and again they were dirty making out like it was the last person they were ever going to kiss. However, this time it was more than kissing, he suckled on her neck and she was grinding against him again. He growled in her ear and pulled down her sundress to reveal her lacy baby blue bra, he paid little attention to her lingerie; quickly pulling it down and taking one breast into his mouth. His tongue circle the nipple as he devoured her breast.

She sighed in pleasure and quickly began to undo his belt and fly, his growl turned deeper as he took her other breast into his mouth. Her fingers fumbled and she held on to him as she gasped in ecstasy at his tongue making magic on her soft flesh arching her back so he could have better access.

"This is going to be hard and fast, darlin." He snarled as he helped her free his manhood and moved her panties to the side roughly.

"I just want you inside me!" she said desperately maneuvering herself so he could enter her with ease. She threw her head back as he thrust into her. "Fuck, Opie!" she managed as she began to steadily ride him each time coming down harder to have more of him in her. Each movement from him was faster and rougher than the last, and made her gasp again and a moan rose from the back of her throat.

"Am I hurting you?" Opie asked cautiously as he loosened his grip on her hips.

"No. Fuck me!" She said kissing him hard with reckless abandon. He kissed her back and drove himself forcefully into her relishing the moan of reception. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and vigorously thrust as she bucked against him breaking her kiss to cry out in satisfaction.

The next few minutes were filled with bodies slamming together as they grunted, moaned, and screamed.

"Oh fuck yes! Fuuuuck." She panted.

"You are so fucking tight…" He breathed and moved so he could plunge further into her. "Fuuck I'm going to come!"

"I'm so close! Oh god right there..YES!" she screamed and clenched her muscles. He let out a bestial grunt and buried himself deep inside her letting her spasms bring him closer. They kissed for the last few excessively hard and wild strokes that sent both of them over the edge.

They stayed wrapped up in each other for a moment more; Kendal exhaled a giant sigh of satisfaction and laid back on balancing herself on the front of the bike. This gave Opie a full view of her body and the damage they had done. Her nipples red and swollen, her panties torn, and his hand marks were fading from her hips, her face was content and she was grinning. He groaned and his manhood started to stir again, he pulled out of her completely and zipped up.

He wanted to have sex with her again and again; in the back of his mind they were doing things that would give her more love marks. He also knew that it was a mistake, and he needed to separate from her soon or his self-control would be out the door…again.

He loosened his bulletproof vest and gave her his undershirt to clean up with. She said thank you in awkward way one does after sex. She took the shirt and stood up turned away from him and wiped the wet spot that was her thighs and private area. Kendal put her panties back in place but it was a futile exercise, she ended up taking them off and leaving them on the tree by the side of the road. She double folded the shirt Opie had given her and placed it on the bike behind him and got on.

Without a word from either of them he started the bike and drove to Charming. The ride was silent, Opie ached to say something to her but did not know what, and Kendal was lost in her own thoughts much of them being '_why did I do that?! I am such and idiot! He's going to think I fuck everything…and everyone…I am not a slut! But what else is he supposed to think about a girl who dirty fucked him on the side of the road…OH this is BAD news!_' and '_I want to kiss the back of his neck and wrap my arms around him, I am still tingling from fucking him, we should pull over again…no I should invite him in…_'

When they were close to the turn off for her house she muttered her address in his ear. He nodded and they were in her driveway a minute or two later. She hopped off the bike and grabbed the shirt. They looked at each other searching for anything to say.

"So…" she started, "Could you tell Tig to come by here in the morning for breakfast? The Limo is his all day tomorrow…" Opie nodded "and could you tell Gemma I'll be there tomorrow afternoon for my shift?" Kendal continued as if she was conversing with anyone else, not someone who had been inside of her minutes ago, her body language gave her away though, it was nervous and awkward.

Opie smiled and nodded again. "Take care."

"Yeah I will." She said.

He started to back out of the driveway and started his bike; there was a tap on his shoulder "Sorry, I forgot to tell you that Ellie is making you breakfast tomorrow. Be home by morning."

"Ellie is cooking?" Opie looked thoroughly confused.

"She really wanted to help around the house more so I taught her how to make a few things. Simple, kid friendly stuff. She is pretty damn good. Kenny has taken to doing dishes for her, apparently they missed home cooking." Kendall explained.

Opie gave a weary smile, "their mom was a good cook. Lyla cooked some too…"

Kendal nodded "That's what they said. The first cake Ellie made we took to Donna's grave and left her a piece, I said that her mom would be awful proud of her."

Opie nodded again and said "you're a good friend to her."

Kendal smiled "You got it all wrong she is a good friend to me." She sighed "I didn't think I could ever be close to anyone, but she is just so honest and sweet…she is a really great kid Ope."

He couldn't take it anymore he reached his hand out and moved a strand of hair out of her eyes and then pulled her in for a kiss. This time it was light and tender, just enough to start a fire not burn the place down. When he pulled back he kicked off and sped away.

From different places but at the same time both Kendal and Opie said in unison "Fuck…" and each tried to shake the other from their minds.

Kendal walked into her house, and locked the door behind her. Her brain was racing in 10 different directions at full speed. She wanted to submerge herself into something…anything so that her head could stop spinning.

After a quick shower she put on new panties and a new bra then stepped into some coveralls. She put her hair up loosely and got to business. She figured she could finish the painting in the guest room before she ran out of steam...fueled by confusion and frustration.

Two hours went by and her phone rang, it was Piney he said that Gemma needed her at the club right away. Without a second thought Kendal grabbed her purse threw in her phone, and a couple of weapons just in case, set her home alarm and out the door she went.

Seven minutes after Piney called her she was screeching in the parking lot to the club and hopping out of the car. She ignored the party goers outside and strode into the club confidently with purpose. She stepped inside and everyone stared at her, it took her a second to realize she was still in her paint speckled coveralls.

Tara rushed over to her and asked "Are you okay?"

Kendal looked at her shocked "Yes. Is everything okay here? Where's Gemma?" she asked Tara and most eyes went back to what they were doing.

"Yes, why wouldn't it be?" Tara asked.

Just then Piney stumbled forward held up by one of the older crow eaters. "There she is!" Opie saw his dad stumbling toward a slightly blushing Kendal and thought he should go over to her as well, he had been thinking of her for the last few hours while trying to seem interested in the conversations and celebrations.

"Oh Piney, what did you do?" Kendal asked with a laugh in her tone and hands on her hips.

"Young lady, you work too much! Tig is in the back with a couple of girls, why can't you let your hair down?! Have a good time!" Piney said jolly as he could be "These boys, may not know how sharp you are but I do." He put his forefinger below his left eye then pointed at Kendal then back to his eye "I've been watching you…you've been watching us…you're like…an angel."

"And you are a very drunk man…" Kendal said laughing kissing him on the cheek.

"Doesn't make me wrong!" Piney said with enthusiasm "you should stay! Have a good time."

"I'm not exactly dressed for company-you sneaky SOB" Kendal said.

Piney shooed away Kendal's words and without warning and with surprising speed for a man his age he quickly unzipped half of her coveralls, he stopped when he realized there wasn't much underneath.

"POP!" Opie yelled as Piney shrugged patted Kendal on the shoulder and swaggered off. All the guys on that side of the room peaked as much as they could with a couple of whistles to comment before Kendal could zip up. "Sorry about that…" Opie said trying like hell not to look down to see what else was being hidden by those coveralls.

"No big deal." Kendal said "It's like the dream where you go to work in your underwear-except not a dream." Tara tried to stifle a laugh. "No, no its ok…It's pretty damn funny." Opie and Tara started to laugh and Kendal joined shortly after.

"Come with me…" Tara said taking Kendal by the hand; hoots, hollers and whistles followed them as they headed to the back.

"You need any help, babe?" Jax called and swaggered over.

"Shut-up." Tara laughed "she is just going to borrow some clothes."

"If you two are going to play dress up I would love to watch…" Jax said.

"Keep dreaming'" Tara said "you weren't in jail long enough for me to turn into a lesbian."

"Glad to hear it." Jax said and slapped Tara on the ass, as she and Kendal went to the back.

"The bathrooms down the hall, you get cleaned up and I will be back with some clothes." Tara said

Kendal did as directed and a few minutes later she and Tara came back into the main room. "You look great."

"Thanks." Kendal said "I am just used to wearing more." Kendal said trying very hard not to fidget with her outfit. She was in a pair of blue jean cut off that were a little too tight and a little too short for Kendal's taste, but on the upside no one could look up her shorts. Her top was a man's tank top with SAMCRO written on it "I also feel like a giant poser. I am not…you know in…"

Tara laughed "Oh yes you are, don't fight it…it's like quicksand."

"Ladies," Jax put his arms around both of their necks. "Would you like a drink?"

"Yes, please." Tara said. "I will be pumping and dumping tonight."

"So glad I am here for breastfeeding. Daddy missed being home." Jax said drunkingly smiling.

"Feed her rum and you will be having breast milk coladas." Kendal said.

"That is gross…and yet enticing." Jax said as he led them to the bar and poured Tara a rum and coke winking at her.

Tara and Kendal laughed "never underestimate a man's love for boobs." Tara said.

"What about you? What are you drinking darlin'?" Jax looked at Kendal.

"Drinking brings out my wild side…so I abstain." Kendal said.

"One drink, and if you are dancing on the table, I'll get up and dance with you." Jax said in the charming manner he was known for.

"Okay, okay…" Kendal acquiesced "surprise me." Jax put a drink in front of her, and she obligingly took a drink. "Thank you."

Tara, Jax and Kendal laughed and chatted for a bit. Piney strode up again and like a good watchdog Opie followed. "This is what I like to see!" He through an arm around Kendal and hugged her.

"I am having a very good time Piney. Thanks for tricking me into coming." Kendal said.

"You know I bet you could take these guys in pool" Piney said casually gesturing to everyone in the building.

"And I bet you could drink me under the table." Kendal said "but I guess those are things we will never find out."

"That's not true, I will play you." Jax said "Happy, I got next game."

"You got it." Happy said as the Prospects gave looks of discontent.

"It's really okay…" Kendal said.

"I got $50 on Kay girl." Piney said.

"I got $50 on Jax." Opie said. Kendal looked at him and raised her eyebrows at him. "Jax, played before he could spell his name."

"Well I guess I am just going to have to play, then." Kendal said, and feeling a little more relaxed with the introduction of alcohol in her system she strutted over to the pool table. Opie followed watching every curve as it moved. Jax, Tara, and Piney followed. "You break." she said to Jax as she went to rack the balls.

"What idiot said they would play you?" Kozik shouted from across the room as he and a few others stared at her bending over to center the balls.

"I did." Jax said giving Kozik a strange look.

"Oh this is going to be good." Kozik elbowed Happy "Jax is gonna play Kendal."

"Brutal." Happy said turning around.

Piney said again loudly "I have $50 on Kendal."

"Who is betting against her?" Kozik asked.

"Me?" Opie said.

"I'll take Jax for $100" Clay said from across the room.

"I want that action." Kozik said throwing up some cash.

Soon all bets were made and being held by Tara who declined saying she was not interested in betting against Jax or losing any money. Jax got a kiss for luck and he then hit the cue ball with such precision and strength that two balls went into the pocket , he then made 3 more successful shots leaving only 2 balls and the eight ball on the table for him to sink. He bowed to Kendal after he missed his shot leaving the cue ball in a precariously dangerous spot.

She smiled flirtatious, put the stick behind her back "Four in the corner" as the guys watched her perform a geometrically insane shot while in a yoga pose there was a round of oooh's and ahhh's. She then cleared the table, while Jax looked on is disbelief "Eight ball left side pocket." She bent over to shoot looked up at Jax and winked before she made the shot effortlessly.

"You are a shark?" Jax said holding his heart as if it were broken.

"Not a shark, I didn't bet, nor did I hook you, and I played to best of my ability." Kendal said. "They sharked you." She pointed to everyone who bet on her and smiled. "I think I need another drink."

Kozik jumped up "You're drinking?"

"I had one, I'm thinking about having two." Kendal said smiling.

"By god, she's letting her hair down." Kozik exclaimed "maybe I'll get that date now!"

"Doubtful." Kendal said "but you keep trying." her tone was that of a parent telling a child to keep going on a seemingly impossible task.

"And she's flirting..." Kozik said.

The rest of the party went along well, everyone was merry and having a good time. Kendal watched Opie all night in her peripheral. Currently there was a trashy girl sitting in his lap, playing with his hair, and whispering in his ear. Kendal ordered a shot and drank it before anyone noticed. She felt warm and the control over her more carnal instincts were almost non-existent, as all of her control was keeping her from throwing the girl in Opie's lap across the room.

Opie stood up and went to the back hallway leaving the red-head with a mini-skirt to hold his place. Kendal excused herself from the bar and wandered to the back.

No one was in the back hallway but her, when Opie came out of the bathroom he said "Hey, how's it going?"

"Good. Good. How are you doing?" Kendal asked leaning against the wall.

"Good. You um…my dad sure does like you." Opie said scratching the back of his head.

"He is a sweet old man…" Kendal said "please don't tell him I called him old."

Opie smiled and gave a laugh "I won't. Well I better get back…" He said and began to walk pass her. She held her hand out and grabbed his jacket. He turned and looked at her. She gently tugged on the jacket until Opie was in front of her. She looked up and their eyes met, she did not hide the wanting, she bit her lip and placed her other hand on his chest.

Opie let out a sigh of surrender and kissed her. Kendal wrapped her legs him when grabbed her ass and lifter her up. He pressed her against the wall and they kissed long and hard until she gave a small whimper of need. Opie broke the kiss and balanced her between him and the wall as he pulled up her shirt up so he could devour her lace covered breast.

Her hands were tangled in his hair and she was moaning when Tara walked in. "Oh god! Sorry." She said covering her eyes. "I just needed to go to the bathroom." Jax followed her and froze when he saw Opie and Kendal straightening up and Tara froze with her eyes closed.

Kendal cleared her throat "Hey Opie I think I have had a few too many do you mind giving me a ride home?"

"Sure. You ready to go?" Opie said adjusting his obviously hard groin.

"Yep." Kendal said, Opie held his hand out directing her to the door. "Tara, see you later. Give your boys kisses for me." she gave Tara a hug, "Jax anytime you want a rematch." Jax hugged Kendal and she walked out.

Opie nodded his head and followed Kendal stopped only by Jax who smiled and said . "You going to tell me about that?"

"Maybe later…" Opie said with a smirk and left.


	7. One amazing night

**A good night**

Kendal had made her way out inconspicuously and was waiting by Opie's bike, Opie joined her moments later and they took off. Kendal was a little tipsy so she was not as chaste as the prior ride she wrapped her arms around Opie and gently moved her hands in flirtatious patterns over his chest and she pressed her body against him.

They were at her home in a few minutes, Kendal opened the door and unarmed her alarm "this is my home…" Kendal said "it's a work in progress."

"It looks nice…a lot better than it did when I went away." Opie said.

She threw her keys and purse on the bar. "Just finished the pool a few weeks ago. If you want to go for a swim"

"Maybe later…" He looked at her like a school boy waiting for sweets.

They both giggled at the awkwardness that filled the room. "fuck it." Kendal said and leaped on Opie.

They kissed passionately and stopped only for Opie to help her out of her shirt and bra he quickly licked her nipples and returning to kissing her. She pushed his jacket off and pushed his shirt off catching her breath looking at all of his tattoos. She kissed the reaper over his heart and gave the verse around his neck many kisses, letting her hands make their way up and down his broad chest and shoulders.

His hands slid to her cut offs, he quickly undid the fly and pushed them down her legs tracing his way back up slowly with his hands and soft, teasing kisses lingering on small scars she had. Nibbling on her ear he whispered "you're beautiful."

She gave a non committal gasp of want and he moved her to the couch pushing her down and lowering himself to his knees. "I've been thinking about how you taste all day..." he said grabbing her panties and sliding them off of her. He gave her a quick hard kiss and then dived between her legs, throwing her knees over his shoulders and tickling the insides of her thighs with his beard.

She cried out and grabbed his hair holding tight as he made her writhe in rapture. Her back arched, her thighs flexed, and her toes curled as he lapped up all of her pleasure. She screamed out as the first wave hit her, and he continued to lick complex patterns on her swollen clitoris until she was fighting for breath and panting. He kissed his way back up to her breast and began to suckle on the goose pimply pale skin around her nipple before drawing it to his mouth. He left his hand between her legs gently rubbing her pulsating middle, as she caught her breath and her eyes came back into focus.

He eased his middle finger inside of her warm wetness swirling it around while his thumb applied gentle pressure to her clit. She forcefully moved his mouth to hers and maneuvered to ride his hand and latched to him screaming "Opie! ahh" as the second orgasm hit.

After the quakes and tremors from her pleasure slowed she stood up and made him sit on the couch she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his fly letting his hardness free. The look of excitement in her eyes made him growl she tickled the soft under side with her fingers as she straddled him, she slowly glided him deep inside herself and once they were melded she asked "Does that feel good?"

His teeth clinched together as he said "Yes…" and he put his hands on her hips to make her bounce on him.

She held herself in place and clenched, flexed, and released her inner muscles. Opie eyes squeezed shut and he was almost howling her name as she asked again "Does this feel good?"

Opie cried out "Yes!" and it sounded like a demonic growl. Kendal continued with her Kaegle torture holding herself in place with him deep inside of her, despite his trying to move her. With every squeeze of her muscles his full length felt like he was going to explode; Opie could not take anymore, he wrapped his arms around her holding her in place as he grunted and rolled her to the floor pinning her beneath him. He began his own slow administrations swerving his hips to hit all the pleasure spots he already knew, he had Kendal squealing for more quickly. "Does that feel good?" he snarled as she dug her nails into his back.

"Fuck yes!" she whimpered attempting to take control again, but he held her in place with his weight pressed on her and moved faster making her squeak. "Opie!" she yelled and moved with him until they were at a such a fevered momentum both of their muscles ached but the pleasure far outweighed the pain.

"OH God! Ope...fuck...ahh" she screamed her eyes opened wide and she looked at him "come with me."

"No!" he grunted at her "I like watching you!" he pulled out, straddled one of her legs as the other rested on his shoulder shoving himself deeper and faster, just as his thumb found her clit again and made small circles on it. She cried out his name as her third and most mind numbing amazing orgasm crashed into her. Kendal's whole body tensed with pleasure and she blacked out for a second before releasing all of her muscles and coming back to reality. Opie pumped a few more times before he tensed and pulled out just in time for him to spill out on her thigh.

It took them a minute to catch their breath and regain the ability to speak words and not grunts and sighs of pleasure. upon being able to speak again Kendal simply said "...fuck me that was good."

Opie said nothing he just kissed her, and in a few minutes more he had her bent over her coffee table and was riding her from behind grunting out "you feel so good!"

In the hours that followed they had sex several times, everywhere; on the kitchen counter when she went to get water, and in practically every room when she gave him a tour of the house including the pool, and the hot tub. They also were very liberal with their desires and needs letting each other have their way with the other in every way they wanted. Coaching and directing for the best possible experience for each of them until there was no rock left unturned sexually between them.

They finally fell asleep in the early morning on the mattress Kendal had on the floor of the guest bedroom. She woke up feeling secure and warm, Opie was next to her and had his arm slung over her holding her to him. She snuggled up next to him and she kissed his cheek before she closed her eyes again. He squeezed her closer to him and buried his face in her hair. Before she was able to go back to her sweet dreams, she heard a buzz and a beeping noise, it happened twice more before she realized what it was.

Sometime in the night she had retrieved his jacket to cover herself up, Kendal fished out Opie's phone, she squinted and see that it was a text from Jax. She rolled on to her side and nibbled on Opie chest to wake him. "Mmmm…again? Okay." He mumbled in his sleep and began to roll on top of Kendal.

"No…well not yet, Jax needs you." Kendal said handing him his phone. Opie popped the phone open and read the message, Kendal was running her hands up and down his exposed reachable skin, using the tips of her nails to tickle the softer areas. He in took a sharp breath and slammed his phone shut.

"Oh you're asking for it." He grumbled and started to tickle her.

Kendal screeched and tried to escape, it was hard because he had her pinned beneath him again. "I give up! I give up! Mercy! Mercy!" He stopped tickling her and they started to kiss "Mmmm, I like this much better."

"Me too…" He said and then he moved lower "I like these better…" he said beginning to kiss her breast.

"Do you now?" Kendal let out a sigh of pleasure as she played with Opie's hair, it didn't matter how many times he did this it made her whole body tingle.

"oh yeah…" was very heard over the worship he was giving to her nipples. Kendal's eyes closed and she turned her head to the side.

"Mmmmm ahh." came out of her mouth as she bit her lip. She opened her eyes and was staring at Opie's phone, her eyes were glazed with pleasure but as they came into focus she saw the time. "Holy shit!"

"What?! I didn't bite?" Opie said looking up.

"No you're great."

"Thank you." Opie said and went back to running his tongue in over her sensitive flesh.

"No! No, you have to stop." Kendal said slightly slapping him on the shoulders.

"Why?" Opie said kissing his way lower.

"No, no, no, seriously you have to stop, right now! It's 6 in the morning…" Kendal said still swatting at Opie's shoulders.

"Is it now?" Opie was running his hands up and down her body clouding her thoughts as he kissed lower and lower.

"yeah and…." Kendal started "ohhhh." she moaned as he kissed the inside of each of her thighs. "Baseball! Naked old people! Gross things! Really gross things!"

"What are you doing?" Opie stopped and asked.

"Regaining concentration!" Kendal exclaimed "You are getting up. Getting dressed. Sneaking into your own house. And being surprised when Ellie wakes you up super early with breakfast." She listed each thing intently and with everyone her resolve grew "I am taking a shower, and getting some sleep before making Tig breakfast…at like 3 in the afternoon."

"You are too good" He crawled up and kissed the tip of her nose. "What am I doing, again? And do I have time to be a part of your shower?"

"No…Ellie normally wakes up a little after 6:30 that means you need to be at home in bed in 20 minutes or less." Kendal said.

"Twenty minutes?" furrowing his brows in concentration, while his hand slyly moved in between Kendal's legs without touching her to alarm her. Kendal nodded "that means I get to make you scream one more time." just then his hands slid up and he began to message all the right spots "but it's got to be quick."

Opie did a series of quick movements but in seconds Kendal facing away from him but pressed firmly to him as one of his hands was messaging her breast and the other was messaging her lower area. He slowly pumped inside her, she was moving with him and panting in approval. She wrapped her arm around Opie's neck, kissed him and bit his lower lip. This apparently put Opie into overdrive, he made a guttural sound as he grabbed her is a gruff manner and pushed himself into her harder and deeper making her moan more. As promised this was a quickie but with Opie's skills and all the spots he had learned in the previous hours he had Kendal screaming and then shuttering in pleasure.

"Go." Kendal managed to utter as she was catching her breath. Opie kissed her again, slid on his pants, grabbed the rest of his clothes and headed out the door. Kendal laid there in bed and ran her hands over her body reveling in every moment that had just passed.

After a minute or two she heard her phone ring, she got up and answered it "Hello?"

"I snuck in she is still asleep." Opie said from the other end.

"Good! Now the food she makes you should be good…even if it's awful you have to eat it and tell her it's great." Kendal said with a little anxiety in her voice.

"I was in jail for a year and a half; I didn't forget how to be a father. Plus after prison food she could feed me Cheerios on toast and it would be better than anything I had." Opie announced.

"Sorry." Kendal sighed "She's just so nervous, she wants to make your first morning special. She is so happy you're back." Opie could hear Kendal tearing up as she said all of this.

"I'm glad to be home and I am not going anywhere." Opie said trying to be as comforting as possible.

"Good." Kendal sniffed. "Now tell that to her when she serves you burnt toast and chewy eggs…Not that I don't have faith in her. She made me breakfast last week on a test run and it was great."

"Ooh I think she just woke up." Opie whispered.

"Snore!" Kendal demanded.

"Why?"

"She said the way she always knew you were home is because she could hear you snore." as she finished her sentence she heard Opie's fake snores. "Get some sleep if you can. I luf…" she cleared her throat "I will see you soon, bye." Kendal hung up and began to beat her head at a slow gentle way. "Am I out of my mind?!" she yelled at herself. "Well I must be...seeing as I am standing around naked in my house yelling at myself." She shook her head and walked to the bathroom to take a shower, she reconsidered and decided a bath would be best to sooth some of the soreness she was beginning to feel.

* * *

Kendal was able to get a few hours of sleep before getting up to make her brother a welcome home, hang over cure breakfast; around 2 in the afternoon he knocked on her door "You like your coffee black?" she asked gesturing for him to come in and follow her to the kitchen.

"Yea…you got some aspirin or Tylenol or something?" Tig asked.

"Prison fucks up your alcohol tolerance, don't it?" Kendal joked as she sat down his coffee and a bottle of Tylenol.

Tig nodded as he swallowed a handful of Tylenol and sipped the coffee to chase it down. "Little bit…" Tig said "what's for breakfast…lunch?"

"Well, I was waiting to you got here to decide which it was going to be?" Kendal said, "Can your stomach handle greasy or spicy right now?"

"It can't handle whatever you put in front of it." Tig said.

Kendal and Tig talked about the party from the night before as she puttered around the kitchen "That smells great sis."

"Thanks," she said and a few minutes later she sat a peppercorn bacon wrapped steak filet, over easy eggs, and shredded hash browns in front of him, she slid the salt pepper and Tabasco next to him and shortly after a plate of pancakes was by him as well. Then sat down with her own miniature plate of the same thing.

"This is damn good." Tig said with a full mouth.

"Thank you." Kendal said between bites. "So…I guess you want to know about your other inheritance…"

Tig shrugged "I got my club back…I could give a shit about what dad had to give me...and you paid me for it."

Kendal cleared her throat "Okay, I get that. I thought you might feel that way…be right back." she excused herself from the table and came back with a decent sized heavy box. She put it on the table and then sat down in front of her plate again.

"Whats that?" Tig asked.

"That is my 'Congratulations you're out of jail' gift to you." she clarified "along with a very special first aid kit I would like you to keep with you." she said before she stuffed some pancakes in her mouth.

Tig opened the box, as she said, there was a first aid kit and a set of two desert eagle .50 hand guns with very intricate carvings on it there chrome plating, down each side of the barrel was the scythe of the reaper and on the grip was the reaper with the anarchy sign and his name on the bottom. "These are beautiful! And I don't even say that about the women I bag."

"You're welcome." She smiled.

"So what's so special about this first aid kit?" he said as he pulled it towards him and opening it up. "There are no Band-Aids in here?"

"You are right; there are however, powdered latex gloves, ammonia, bleach, and a few samples of other people's hair follicles, and other DNA like things." Kendal said plainly. "I just got you back, I know the club is going to have to do things... And you are the big hammer…I just don't want you gone again. The barrels of the guns are also filed and untraceable."

"Thanks sis," Tig said, as he went back to eating the rest of his breakfast. "So now what?" Tig finished his plate and lit a cigarette.

"I don't know." Kendal said "Want to watch a movie? Or go target shooting? I am not familiar with brotherly and sisterly interactions."

"Me neither…" Tig agreed "who thought prison was going to be the easy part of this?"

Kendal just laughed. "I haven't shot in a while…let's see how good you are…and I could use the practice if I am going to compete this summer."

"Compete?"

"There is a competition out in the desert for shooters. I haven't been able to compete yet. But I have judged." Kendal explained.

"Why can't you compete?" Tig asked.

"Tits." She said displaying them like Vana White would.

"I know you are my sister but I have to say those are a nice pair." Tig took his plates to the sink and cleared Kendal's as well.

"Well they held me back at a few things. Boys don't like girls to play with their toys…especially when they are better at it." Kendal said in disgust.

"Opie said you are a dead shot."

Kendal cleared her throat just hearing his name made her knees wobble "He is very nice, to say that." she looked down in shame "I had to double tap one because I missed…hence I need the practice."

"So let's go!" Tig said grabbing his new guns "mind if some of the fella's come?"

"The day after you guys are released from a federal arms charge and I convince you to go shooting…" Kendal shook her head. "I am the best damn sister ever. I should have your whole fucking club back in jail by next week"

"Shut-up! I am a grown ass man, and you can't take responsibility for the dumb shit I do." Tig startled her with his volume.

"Sorry…I just I'm not used to having to care for someone…except dad…and like that was going anywhere." Kendal said.

"Well, stop. Let's go shoot some shit." Tig said as he through his arm around her head and gave her a noogie.

"Stop!" Kendal cried as she hit him to let her go "Let's go shoot some shit!" She smiled, squeaked, & jumped up and down. "I'm gonna go get my guns!" she said as she nearly skipped to the guest house. When she hopped back in she had a briefcase with her. "I'm driving!"

"Tell you to play with guns and you turn into a cheerleader." Tig laughed.

An hour later there were at the shell that was Karakara. All the other guys did not want to come, they were hungover, still drinking and fucking in celebration of their release, or spending time with their long separated loved ones. Kendal and Tig went through a couple of boxes of ammo challenging each other to different shots. Tig made most of them but Kendal made them all.

She also showed Tig her favorite gun she named it Daniel and when she put it together she sung the Elton John's song "Daniel." Tig was in love with it. Kendal said if he was good maybe Santa would bring him one.

As they got back in the car and headed home Tig said "Well, we figured out how we can bond."

Kendal smiled "Next week can we blow shit up?"

"You really like this stuff?" Tig asked in disbelief.

"Only good times I had with Dad is when we were shooting or blowing shit up." Kendal shrugged. "I like normal things to…like movies, swimming; I can kick your ass at skee-ball…"

"You can kick my ass?" Tig asked in an indignant way.

"Maybe…but in skee-ball, yes." Kendal smirked.

"You're on…" Tig said as they parked at Kendal's house.

"Next Saturday? Or after you go on the run on Tuesday?" Kendal asked.

"You got plans tomorrow?" Tig said.

"Bar-B-Que. Gemma asked to have it here because of the grill and the pool. And I am helping Ellie & Kenny set up their instruments so they can do something special for their dad." she said.

"Monday?"

"I work for a living, mister" she smirked.

"After the run then…did you really plan the last one?" Tig asked

"Not planned…helped." she clarified.

Tig smiled and nodded "yeah right." he jumped in the Limo again.

"You get your license back Monday… Just keep dreaming about that bike." Kendal said as she tapped the trunk, and the car drove off.


	8. Strike one

**Strike One**

Even though it was a Saturday Kendal decided to go in to work and turn out some of the lighter jobs so Monday would not be so unpleasant, seeing as almost all the shop's employees had taken off the last 2 days, and when they were at work they were half-assed at best, due to all the parties, distractions, and other club business. It was late when she finished up her normal work and started on a special project for Kenny.

She promised him she would paint his bass drum face (he had finally gotten a full drum set last week), she headed to the paint room at the shop with loud party sounds coming from the clubhouse. To distract herself from thinking about Opie being at the party and her being so close to him, she put a lot of time and detail into her flames and reaper paint job. She took so much time with the outline and shading she had broken into a sweat under her coveralls, she unzipped them and let it hang from her hips and threw off her sweat drenched tank top, leaving her in just a sports bra and paint mask, thoroughly enjoying the small breeze of the oscillating fans.

She had just finished the top sealant coat and set it under the dryer when she heard someone come into the main part of the shop. She opened the door and looked around to see what was going on…essentially checking if Opie had seen her car and came looking for her, instead she found Opie standing up with his eyes closed, and a girl on her knees in front of him with her head bobbing.

"Mother Fucker!" she said aloud before she could help herself and slammed the door.

Kendal realized what was bound to happen, still she foolishly hoped they would finish and then she could leave; she also hoped that no one had heard her through her paint mask, thus no one would feel the need to come and investigate. Kendal was beyond annoyed and bordered indignant …she hadn't felt this way in a very long time, and though she knew why she wanted to use a crow bar on that bitches face, she also knew she hadn't the right.

She was taking deep breaths and trying to center herself, when the door opened, Opie and BJ girl stood there looking at her for a second. Kendal was torn on what to do…the logical side of her said '_play it cool, say you messed something up, and were angry, everything is cool now, especially you…_' while the real her was saying '_I know I have no right to your cock, but can you not get a whore to suck it while I work on something for your son, you Son of a… meanwhile, I am going to need you to step aside while I kick this bitches ass._'

What came out of her mouth was nothing…absolutely nothing. She just stood there staring at them and was like a mute.

"Kendal?" Opie said looking shocked and guilty.

Kendal nodded because words could not come out.

"What are you doing here?" Opie asked.

"Who is she?" asked the girl with a smack of her gum.

Kendal held up the face of the bass drum, in answer.

Opie looked down in shame; that made Kendal feel a little better. "Did you see...did you see her and me?"

"She is painting a drum face…I didn't know you guys had a band?! Is she the drummer's deaf sweet butt?" the girl asked.

That did it. Kendal cleared her throat as she strode forward. "I don't eat crow, and this is for one of the guys kids. Now if you will excuse me, I have better things to do then to watch one of my brother's friends get blown." She could have just walked away, but she had to add "And with gum? Seriously how fucking tacky can you get?" Kendal went passed them, pleased that her words seemed to have a painful effect on Opie.

"Do you have a problem bitch?" BJ girl called after her.

"Several, but you don't even make the list, now back on your knees where you belong…" She opened the side door went out.

She was half way to her car when she heard a girl yell "You stupid cunt!" and was pushed from behind. As Kendal slowly turned around reminding herself to keep her cool, she heard a few vague calls of "catfight." from the crowd in the back that could see them. Opie was on the other girl's heels and was looking mortified.

"If you hurt this drum face I will end you." Kendal said lightly but with a tone in her voice that gave both Opie and the girl pause. She turned around again and continued to her car.

Once she had put the drum face in her trunk she heard the girl say "Fucking dyke bitch! Chicken shit whore!" the girl was moving towards her in a dare you fashion by this time there was a slight crowd around.

"Listen up here Barbie, if I was into beating bitches like you, I would have been a pimp." Kendal said back taking only one step towards the bait.

From in the crowd she could hear her brother asking who was fighting, when he heard the answer he ran to the front of the crowd saying "she'll fucking kill her..." in response.

"It's alright Tig, I'm not gonna fight this trash, she isn't worth my time." Kendal smiled and the trash came at her fingernails out with a scream. Kendal made her moves quickly and with precision, she used the girls momentum to make the palm to the nose hit fairly mild (but enough to break the girl's nose), she pivoted and the girl went right passed her, then with a turn she punched the girl in the lower mid back making contact with the kidneys and taking the girl to the ground.

She walked around her and started to get into her car turned to the crowd and said. "Gentleman, its been real…" they awed and cheered. "and she will need some ice…her pee might be pink for a day or two. See ya on Monday!" She heard a few claps but most of the interest had died and someone had picked up the girl and was helping her to the club house.

As she turned again to get in her car, she came face to face with Opie, the car door was between them "I'm sorry."

"For what?!" Kendal irritatedly spat.

"Not finding you instead..." He said trying to make it sound as romantic as it could.

Kendal softened at the intent but her ego was still a little sore "No I am sorry…" she gave a resigned sigh "You have nothing to be sorry for. I have no reason to be upset and…you and I are not…well, were not. You are free to do whatever and whoever you want to." There was a slight pause before she quickly said "I just wasn't expecting to see…and it was a reflex…and…it will not happen again…" she finished sincerely.

"I'm an idiot." Opie said.

"Huh?"

"I am an idiot." Opie said staring in Kendal's eyes with a dark intensity but gentle nature.

"Well yes, all men are. But how so in this situation?" Kendal asked.

"You are funny." he chuckled,

"Thank you. Now let's get back to your idiocy, how is it pertinent at this time?" Kendal focused on the situation at hand.

"Because I lost my chance with a girl like you, for a half a bad blow job-with gum." he clarified.

"Seriously, what is up with the gum?" came out of Kendal's mouth in a baffled note "Did she want to add cock flavoring to her minty freshness? Did she take it out and put it behind her ear? Or on your sack? Or…" she was bemused "I just don't get the physics of it or the use of gum during fellatio-maybe I am just not in the know about such things, maybe I'm not that good at giving head…I just don't understand!" Kendal ranted on to Opie's amusement "You were there, how did it work?"

Opie was caught off guard at the turn of hilarious rant to needing his input "Uh..I don't think she remembered she was chewing it.." he cleared his throat "she just uh…went down and left it in her mouth."

"She is a fucking genius," Kendal shook her head "I mean I get forgetting you are chewing gum but just going about your business…" Kendal was using her hands emphatically "she's like the girl from Willy Wonka who turned into a blueberry. Mmmm…tomato soup….mmm…steak & potato…mmm blueberry cobbler….mmm cock & balls, the perfect after dinner mint."

Opie laughed loudly, but before he could say anything she muttered "You didn't ruin your chance" and was in the car driving away.

Jax was pulling in about the time Kendal was leaving they waved at each other as she pulled out of the shop driveway. When Jax saw Opie standing with a blank look on his face and a slacking jaw he figured his friend might need someone to talk to. "Hey Op, what's happening brother?"

Opie looked at Jax and said "I'm engaged to Lyla…wherever the fuck she is…but I want that girl" he gestured to the empty driveway in front of them "by me."

"Kendal?" Jax asked for clarification Opie nodded.

"She is something else…Tig says she is coming to church tomorrow night about something big." Jax patted his friend on the shoulder "Mom says that you need to be to bed early, your kids have something special for you tomorrow." Jax looked at his friend who was clearly lost in his own thoughts.

Opie nodded yet again and headed towards his bike. "See you tomorrow."

"Be safe." Jax said as his Ope rode off.

Piney came up to Jax and asked "Where is he going?"

Jax laughed a little and then said "To complicate things." Piney looked confused and then walked Jax to the club house. As Jax walked past a bleeding cursing crow eater he asked "What happened to her?"

Tig came from behind him and answered simply "Kendal."

"She is something else." Piney said.

"I just said that." Jax commented.

"You boys should see her house…" Piney continued his praise of Kendal "She is doing it all by herself. She is damn good. That's where the BBQ is tomorrow. Gemma & she have planned for weeks for you boys, and that angel let Ellie help so she feels like a part of everything."

"She is something." Jax said with a bit of a worried tone.

Tig handed them shots "To my sister, the deadly angel."

"We toasting Kay girl?" Kozik poured himself a shot and took it "To my future old lady."

Piney & Tig laughed, Jax looked awkward "That is never gonna happen," Piney laughed harder. "I have spent a lot of time with her and not a guy one has rattled her…even that wop, she played him like a fiddle." he did a fiddle jig "I am pretty sure she is plays in a completely different league than us."

Tig face went from laughter to solemn "What wop?"

Piney did not understand the change in mood and Jax was paying absolute attention to them "You know, the one that took her away for a week, a few months back."

"He called himself 'Bobby DeNiro no relation'" Kozik spat.

Tig looked pissed. "Why didn't you fucking kill him when he kidnapped her?"

"She wasn't kidnapped man. She, led him away and looked like she couldn't wait to leave…she was kissing on him and pressing herself against him." Kozik said looking disgusted and jealous.

"That was her ex. Asshole, almost killed her when she lost the baby." Tig said sounding angrier than he had been in a while and completely unaware that he sounded like soap opera digest. With that statement everyone in the conversation sobered up.

"He did what?" Piney asked "I'll kill the son of a bitch"

Both Tig and Kozik said something like 'why didn't she tell me?'

Jax ended everything with "look we have church with her tomorrow. That is probably when all this will be cleared up." he walked away and took out his phone calling Opie right away.

"What!?" was the gruff angry answer he received.

"Op, did you go home?" Jax asked

"Not exactly, why?" Opie asked. "This isn't exactly a good time, Jax." and you could hear the strain of keeping control in his voice.

"Did you go to her?" Jax asked.

"Yep."

"Just be careful…something is different about her." Jax said.

"You have no idea." Opie said before hanging up; when Jax called Opie left Kendal in the living room lying naked moaning his name.

Since then she ran and gathered some things up and was in the bedroom, he walked in she was covered in a glittery gold iridescence, and using one hand to play with her nipple and the other stimulating her clitoris. He stopped in his tracks. "I am going to lose my mind over you." he said quietly to himself before he strode over and grabbed her leg pulling her to him.

She arched her back and moaned pushing herself against him pleading for him to be inside her with body language. He guided her head to his, tangling his fingers in her long brown hair. "Tell me we have all night." and he kissed her.

"You have until midnight to lick me clean…" She said putting her finger into his mouth so he could taste the sweet honey dust she had on everywhere. "Then I have until 1 am to thank you for your services." she said moving from his sweet kiss down to her knees where she just licked the tip of him and felt him tremble. As she got back up and lied down seductively on the bed. "Mmmm…minty!"

Opie's eyes went from glazed with pleasure, to comical, to predatory. He glanced at the bedside clock that read 10:30 smiled then began his penance of licking every inch of her. For the next hour she varied from delighted whimpers, begging him to stop, and pleading for more. When he was finished his mouth was full of the sweetness a mixture of the honey dust and the juices from her most recent orgasm.

He was so aroused he did not wait for her to recover, he was inside of her and driving himself to his own orgasm when she came again flexing her muscles all around him and pulling him deep inside her. He came like warm champagne inside her. He was panting and laid on her from pleasure and exhaustion, and she clinging to him quivering with aftershocks.

They lay still for a moment more before he rolled off of her, and she turned and curled up next to him letting her thigh lay like a belt over his waist. They tried to fight the afterglow sleep, but it was futile effort, and they both were out in a manner of seconds.

There was a loud pounding on Kendall's front door and one of the alarms was going off. She awoke with absolute alertness. She grabbed a gun from the nightstand and did not bother with clothes, as she quickly and quietly made her way to the front door checking all the rooms along the way.

Opie woke up as well, he groggily reached for her "what's that noise?" he bemoaned but when he did not feel her next to him he shot out of bed and saw her silhouette with a gun checking the guest bedroom and slowly moving to the door. She looked far less soft and gentle than he had grown accustomed to, and he did not like that at all.

He heard a bang at the front door and strode towards it with authority passing right by Kendal in the process. Opie had unlatched the door and swung it open before she could catch up to him, however, the barrel of her gun aimed on what was beyond the door.

Kozik & Tig stood there one with a pool stick and the other with a crow bar in hand, they were both very drunk and demanding answers from each other and from the door. When they looked to see that their wooden formidable opponent was no longer there, they froze staring at a naked enraged Opie and naked Kendall with them in the sights of her gun. They dropped their thug weapons and put their hands in the air "Hey sis."

"Tig! What the fuck?!" Kendal yelled before she walked to the alarm keypad and pressed a few buttons disarm it as the phone rang. She ran over and answered the phone "Yes everything is fine, my brother was too drunk to go home and set off my alarm trying to get to my couch for the night. Yes. Yes. Glow-worm. Thank you."

Tig's eyes shut tightly because he was well aware that if he saw any more of his naked sister his inner perv would never rest. Kozik stood with his mouth slack-jawed and eyes wide. Opie had walked back to the bedroom.

Kendal looked at them squarely "Sit." She pointed to the couch. "I will be back in just a second." and she walked back to the bedroom.

Opie was sitting on the bed and was staring blankly at the wall, and if the wall was not there he would be looking at the spot where his clothes were piled up in the living room. "Ope?"

He turned to look at her "I…I didn't want anyone to know." he looked terribly ashamed of his confession.

"Me neither," she said and was thoroughly surprised that he looked hurt. "We were having so much fun and other people knowing fucks with things." his expression lightened and he nodded. "Stay here I will fix the drunk twins up and then you need to go home. Ellie will be gone when you wake up, she is coming over here at nine to get ready for the bar-b-que." Opie nodded again.

"Soon we are going to have to work on using your words, Ope." she teased softly giving him a kiss and grabbing a robe and wrapping it around her before going out again.

From the other room Opie heard her say "And just what the fuck did you guys think you were doing?" in an annoyed but maternal tone.

He did not want to ease drop and was going to close the door when he heard Tig say "He could have killed you!"

Opie strode into the living room angrily "I would not lay a finger on her." He yelled "I don't hurt or kill women you son of a bitch!" Tig and Kendal both looked shocked at him.

Kozik took this time to speak up "Yeah, but you fucked her! Ruined her for guys that want her..." He stood up and walked to her "If you wanted some dick Kay…baby I would have given you some. I bet you're a firecracker in the sack." he grabbed her ass and tried to kiss her.

Opie grabbed him by the collar Tig by the hair "You don't touch her." Tig said in his ear as Opie screamed "Get off!"

Kendal went from shocked to furious "Tig your sleeping on the couch! Ope go home! Kozik get the fuck out of my house! I am going to bed!" and with that she was gone in a whiff of honey and silk down the hall.

Within 5 minutes her instructions were followed. Opie was more confused than ever when he left. Tig made sure Kozik and Opie were out the door before he passed out on the couch. Kozik left the house and knowing he was too drunk to drive he called Bobby Elvis to come and get him.


	9. Daydreaming

**Daydreaming**

A few hours later Gemma was at the door, Kendal opened it and indicated quiet as she grabbed the bags from Gemma and gave her a wave of her hand for Gemma to follow her.

Gemma did so, and was about to ask her why in the world they have to stay quiet, then she saw a drooling Tig face down on the couch. When they were safely outside Kendal said "I was just about to wake him up, to move him to the guest room before the kids get here. I figured we could set up out here." She said as she moved to show the back yard which had just been finished last week, mostly for today.

"Holy…This is great." Gemma said taking off her shades and looking around. "You did this by yourself?"

"This?…no, I hired a shit load of helpers for all of this…." Kendal said admiring it herself "I can hammer, paint, and a few other things but this…" she gestured to the pool, hot tub, outdoor kitchen & grill, gazebo, outdoor furniture, and beautiful foliage providing shade & sun in strategic places. "This needed man hours…I am going to go move Tig."

"I'll get the rest of the stuff in the car." Gemma said.

"If you want you can open the gate on the side of the house so you can come straight back." Kendall said as she went back in. With some effort and strength she got her brother to one of the downstairs guest rooms, it was not finished but it had a bed and its own working bathroom.

When she got back out Gemma was in her kitchen cutting vegetables and asked "What time are Tara & Ope's kids coming?"

"I told them 9…but the kids get up so early, I am glad you beat them." Kendal said as she started to take out bowls & plates and other preparation equipment. she turned to Gemma "Tara said she had to go by the hospital first. Then she was going to pick up the kids and bring them over."

"Great." Gemma said "So what happened last night between you and Lucy?"

The doorbell rang "Must be the Ellie and Kenny…" the relief of delaying the question was visible on her face.

When she opened the door she was shocked to see Ellie, Kenny _and_ Opie who had donuts, coffee, bags of groceries, and big smiles on "Dad said he was going to help!" Kenny said giving her a hug and pushing right past her.

"I told him this was _for_ him," Ellie lamented "but he said it wouldn't be fair for us to do all the work." Ellie finished exasperated.

"I'm sure we can find something that won't be too strenuous on him…and won't ruin the surprise." she smiled and winked at Ellie who threw her arms around Kendal's waist. "Gemma is in the kitchen…Make sure your brother isn't trying to cook his hands off." Kendal hugged her back and Ellie bounced off to the kitchen. "Hello." she smiled sweetly at Opie.

"Good Morning," he smiled back at her walking in, he gave her a kiss a quick kiss on the cheek, and made his way to the kitchen. When she got to the kitchen she saw him hug Gemma and put coffee next to her "Morning, Mama." and then set everything down on the far end of the counter. "Wasn't sure how you liked it Kendal, so I got cream & sugar on the side."he said nodding at the remaining coffee cup.

"Thanks..." Kendal said strangely and went to doctor her coffee.

"Hey baby, you here to help, or get Tig?" Gemma asked.

"Both if needed." He looked around then at Kendall "This place looks great. Tig said you did it on your own?" He smiled at the joke no one knew but them.

Kendal was in cloud nine, fantasizing that this was her family, this is what they did on Sundays, and that Opie was the one she could kiss when she wanted and…. "Wha?" she replied. Gemma looked at her oddly and Opie chuckled into his coffee. "Yes…" Kendal recovered "well mostly I had some one help outside…I need to go start the fire!" she turned and out the door she went.

Opie met her at the outdoor kitchen area and was watching her ass as she worked her fire starting magic. Kendal turned around and saw him watching and apparently turned on from the show "You shouldn't be here…" she said coming closer to him reaching out and then putting her hands down "yet."

"I couldn't let you do this on your own." he reached out and used his thumb to clear a black mark of soot from her face, then pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Plus I didn't like the way last night ended." he kissed her again and let her go controlling his own appetites. "I can start the fire." he cleared his throat and moved past her.

"Oh, I know." Kendal said breathlessly "I didn't like the way last night ended either…" she took a deep breath and went back inside quickly.

Tara was there now and Ellie & Kenny were with her boys in the living room. Tara gave her a look that clearly stated '_I know about you and Ope, let's keep this quiet_.' Kendall cleared her throat again to get all the residual passion out "Hi Tara!"

"Hey Kay, I just jumped right in with Gemma, is Opie getting the fire going?" Tara said.

"Yep. Yep he is." Kendall said in a way that Tara understood completely "I need to take the chicken out for the smoker then we can get the rest ready." she strode to the kitchen and bent to get the chickens from the bottom shelf, the girls looked at her peculiarly as she took 4 whole chickens with an orange speckled tint and beer cans up their butt. "You've never had beer can chicken?!" she asked assuming that is what the looks were for.

Tara walked forward first and said "Nope sure haven't." as she pulled down Kendall's shirt, hiding the top of what could only be a hickey by her panty line.

Gemma looked confused and only said "Not Tig, right?"

"Oh god no!" Kendal said as she took the chickens out to Opie who was standing looking at the pool again. "Tara knows…" she said as she rounded to the smoker and put the chickens in, then to the sink to wash her hands. "So that means Jax knows right?" Opie nodded. "Gemma saw this," Kendal lifted up her shirt to show the love mark "So she knows I am fucking somebody." Kendall sounded exasperated.

"We could just tell people. It will be around soon enough and I won't have to stop myself from doing this" he said pulling her close and kissing her.

She pushed them apart "Opie, I don't want to confuse your kids...and the Lyla thing..." Kendall said weakly. "Let's wait until we have and understanding before we let people in on whatever this is." He nodded and pulled her into another kiss.

"Opie, Jax is calling" came from Gemma at the door staring at them.

They pulled apart and he said "Yes, ma'am" he gave Kendal an acquiescent shrug as he went to get the phone.

Gemma gave him a stern look as he passed her, she walked to Kendall "He has a fiancé, he just got out of jail, him and your brother have issues…" she listed all the things out loud that were in Kendal's head "You are getting into something you don't understand." Kendal took the Opie approach, and just nodded. "I'm going to get the potatoes started, Kenny is asking for you." Gemma finished.

Kendall took a minute to fuss in her mind before walking in and going to Kenny "What's up chief?"

"How are we going to get my drums and Ellie's guitar set up with dad here?" he asked cautiously.

"I'll think of something." Kendal said aloud pondering the solution.

Opie came in front door with concern and haste written on his face "I got to go to the shop. Ellie, Kenny, you behave, and don't go swimming until someone is out there with you." he looked at Kendall for a moment and then to Gemma.

"You boys be back here at 4...It can wait." Gemma demanded.

"Yes mama." he said as he left.

Kendall followed him out and once she was positive the people inside could not hear her she called out to him "Opie?"

He turned and smiled at her and waited for her to say something then walked over to her "We are going to need to work on you using your words..." he teased and kissed her.

"Don't get…"

He kissed her again to stop her from continuing her sentence. "I'll be fine."

"You better be…" she was holding his hands standing on her tip toes giving him the lightest sincerest kiss when Tig came wandering out of the front door.

"I gotta go." Tig said looking at the scene with mild interest and Opie turned to go to his bike.

"Yep." said Kendall "see you at 4."

"Thanks, sis," he said kissing her on the forehead and leaving.

"Now we can go get your stuff." Kendal beamed at the kids when she came back inside "We will be right back." she called out to Tara & Gemma.

"What is going on between Kendal & Ope?" Gemma asked once they were alone.

"What do you mea..." Tara started to ask but received a glare from Gemma that let her know that lying was not an option "Not sure, I saw them the other night and Jax said it wasn't just then." Tara finished going to her crying infant.

"What do you think about it?" Gemma asked.

"I think it's complicated, and none of my business." Tara said ending the discussion.

By 4:15 p.m. her house was full of people, the food was ready, and Kendal had the kids instruments set up on the far side of the yard by the gazebo. Smiling, laughing, eating and merriment was everywhere.

Everyone was in swimsuits or beach attire, a few girls had their feet in the pool, others laid out tanning, the men were looking at the grill set up, the kids were playing and splashing in the pool, and compliments were tossed around openly about the food and the pool.

At some point Opie pushed Jax into the pool, in playful retaliation Tara pushed Ope in, who pulled her in with him. Kendal had put up a volley ball net and teams and games had started to form.

Tig strolled over to Kendall who was refilling someone's lemonade "Kay this is great!" throwing an arm around her kissing the top of her head.

"I really like having everyone over." She beamed at him.

"You should get in the pool and have some fun." he said as Lucy came and grabbed the pitcher from her and started refilling glasses

"I am the hostess…part of the gig." She smirked.

"That's too bad." He said and he turned giving her a small shove, landing her in the pool. She hollered, jumped up, and looked playfully angry.

"Want me to get him?" Opie smiled.

"Oh no, I will get mine." she said to a laughing Tig "just you wait Trager…" she threatened as she took off the wrap and other over clothes she had on revealing her red checkered old fashion halter bikini receiving a few whistles from the crowd.

"Oh shut up!" Kendal called out.

She took advantage of her pool time by playing with Ellie and Kenny. She showed them how to do headstands and other cool pool tricks with Opie also helping as a spotter. Kenny's favorite was being tossed from his dad's arms to Jax. "Dad, throw me to Miss Kay now!" he yelled.

Kendall turned once she heard her name and held out her arms and Opie tossed his son right to her, then watched as they hugged and splashed, Ellie jumped on Kendal's back and helped Kendal splash her brother. He did not remember seeing his children that happy in a very long time, his thoughts were interrupted by his son calling for him "Dad help me!" he went over to help in the splash fight.

The battle ended in a truce between the two kids so they could gang up on the 2 adults Kendal laughed and jumped behind Opie "Ha! Man shield!" Opie laughed hard and tried to dodge their splashes and tried to expose Kendal from behind him, but she had jumped on to his back and latched on. He finally spun around and let the kids splash Kendal's back. "Are you ready to win this?" she asked him as he wiped the water out of his face.

"Oh yeah." He said. "I'll take the oldest." She loosed her grip and when he spun around again she let go and picked Kenny up as Opie lifted Ellie out of the water.

"We are victorious!" she belted out over the children's giggles, wiggles, and protests. Opie and Kendal smiled at each other, again she daydreamed that this was her real day-to-day life.

When they put the kids down Ellie looked at her and said "is it time?"

"You bet cha!" she smiled down at Ellie "Take your brother and go get ready. I will make sure your dad is distracted. Holler when you are ready." She called after the both of them as they scurried off to the gazebo.

"You are going to distract me?" Opie said in a very flirty manner.

"Look a monkey!" she said pointing behind him, but all he did was look at her with smoldering eyes that gave her goose pimples everywhere. "We will have to do this the hard way then…" and she jumped up and dunked him under the water.

He popped up and said "My turn" he said in the rough growl she was used to hearing when they were not in a crowd. He lunged for her, she dodged him and he reached for her again, and missed. On the third try he got a hold of her and spun her around on his shoulder while she flailed.

"Put me down Ope!" She giggled hitting his arm that effortlessly held her in place.

"Kay we're ready!" the kids yelled from behind them. He put her down and looked over his shoulder at his daughter giving them a thumbs up.

"Distraction accomplished!" Kendal shouted, then looked at Opie "Well come on Dad! There is a surprise!" she said jumping out of the water and grabbing a towel, tossing him one when he was out. Kendal grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the chair the kids put out just for him. "You're really going to love this…" she said moving to the side and letting the kids take center stage.

Ellie began to strum a familiar tune, after a moment started to sing the first lines of Rolling Stones 'Wild Horses.' Ellie's voice gained strength the more she sang her brother joined in on drums after she sang "Graceless lady you know who I am, You know I can't let you slide through my hands …" The performance was not perfect but the honesty of which it was given brought tears to the eyes of a few people. When they finished everyone cheered.

Opie stood up and walked to his children taking them in his arms he hugged them and told him it was perfect and it was the best thing he ever gotten. Ellie looked at Kendal with a giant grin and Kendal gave her two thumbs up before running off to do more hostess things. Opie sat with his kids for a while talking to them about how good they were and how proud he was.

Piney finally came over to him and said that they had to go to the shop for club business. The kids protested when Kendal said that she had to go too. To quiet their protest she said "Ya'll can stay if Pine…" she looked up to see Opie looking at her "If, your dad says it is okay." she looked at Piney and Opie "the upstairs guest room is all fixed up for them, and I did get things for s'mores..." it came out sounding like a kid begging for their friend to stay for a sleep over.

"I'll watch them until you get back." Gemma told Opie.

The look his children gave him killed any options he had. "I guess so…We'll be back soon." He said giving each of his kids a hug and kiss.

All the members of SAMCRO slowly made their exit Kendal followed them out after she grabbed an over sized button up shirt to put over her swim suit, Opie was waiting for her, he grabbed her hand and led her to his bike. She wanted to keep her space, but her heart fluttered and she got on behind him. Their short ride was familiar and comforting to Kendal…and that frightened her more than the meeting she was about to have.

Because most of them were still in swimwear and beach attire they got lots of hoots and hollers from the on lookers. Jax modeled and threw a few fake playful punches at some prospects.

"Let's do this quick, so Kay can get back, and we can get to this…" Tig trailed off staring at a new girl walking their way "party" he finished as he slapped the girl on the ass and shut the door.

Clay was at the head of the table surrounded by the others with Kendal at the other end. She did not feel naked or weird at her party but standing in her swimsuit and white shirt in a room with a giant reaper carved table made her feel slightly out of place. Clay looked at her and said "All underground businesses in Charming have to come through us. So, tell us, why should yours be allowed inside Charming?"

"Umm…" she cleared her throat "I was going to run my consultant business out of my house," she said "but after tonight I decided that might not be the best idea." they looked at her blankly "I mean I am not used to people being around and though it is 100% safe I wouldn't want the two to mix. I need to purchase a few cover businesses for my umbrella corp somewhere around here, I will just set up my office there. I can easily do that outside of Charming, so…no worries about that. Problem solved before there was one." Kendal smiled hoping she may just be able to get out that easily.

Jax asked "What kind of consultant business?" bombing all of her hopes.

Instead of doing her normal bullshit answer she tried to answer as honestly as she could, giving as much information as she could but not revealing enough to endanger them "I do research and clerical work for powerful independent contractors in the blood money industry." she said.

Clay scoffed "Tig told us what your Dad was…I am assuming you are not in the same line of work?"

"Not the line of work, but same industry." she said.

Jax nodded "Anyone else have questions?"

Chibs asked "you still going to work here at the shop?"

"If I can," she said looking down "I really like it here, but depending on the businesses I obtain, I may have to quit. I have to be up and running by September so I will start setting up soon."

Tig spoke now "Can we get in on it?"

Kendal looked shocked. "Not what I do…but other things I am sure…Is that something you want?" she looked dismayed.

"Money is money" he said. "And this is good money, right?"

"It can be…" she said. "but I don't recommend it...when I am up and going if I come across anything I could let you know?"

Tig nodded "Yea, that sounds good."

No one seemed to have any questioned but Opie looked like he had a million questions for her. Jax told her she could go. She started to leave but before she could Tig said "We are going to need a picture of this Bobby guy too. He will not touch you, ever again!"

Kendal turned "he is not allowed back in this town or anywhere close to here. Even his dad said that he couldn't get near me." she protested "Tig you don't have to worry about it, he will never get close to SAMCRO again."

"He took you away from here once," Tig said "it will never happen again. Get us a picture." she nodded and left the room.

Kendal waited outside because she realized she did not have a ride until Opie finished. Kendal sat at the bar and started to mentally compile all the changes to her original 'Back in Business' plan. Later when the doors opened, everyone emerged and Opie came up to her and asked "You ready?" in an angry tone.

"Yes." She said and the entire way back to her house he was stiff and cold.

The only ones still there were Gemma and the kids. Gemma said goodnight giving them both a very meaningful look. The kids had passed out on the couch waiting for them to get home. "What time is it? How long were we gone?" She whispered.

"A couple of hours. It is midnight." he said as he picked up Ellie. "Where?"

"Upstairs on the right." She said and went to pick up Kenny.

"I'll be back down to get him in a minute." Opie said as he effortlessly took Ellie up the stairs. A few moments later he came and got Kenny." and then he came and sat on the couch next to her.

"I…" she said then stopped "you don't have to stay if you want to go back to the clubhouse."

"Why would I want to do that?!" Opie raised his voice "I would just be there thinking about you, and apparently a guy named Bobby who wants to hurt you, and how am I supposed to leave when you are looking at me with those eyes!"

She looked at him sternly and motioned for them to go outside. "If you are going to yell at me do it where the kids won't wake up." she said as she shut the door behind them. "You don't owe me anything Ope. You can tell me what the guys said and then go to the clubhouse and party and not think about me." she said in a plain voice. "and no one has to worry about Bobby, but me."

Opie was tense "What about Kozik showing up drunk again?!" he paced "I cannot…"

"Can't what?!" she sounded frustrated "let your kids stay here, be around me anymore, stand I didn't tell you about my shitty ex-boyfriend, cause I know Tig already told you about the other thing, what?!"

He turned to her and got in her face "I can't concentrate on anything but you." he said spitting out the words. "I don't want to leave here because I will just go and think of you. Even when that girl was blowing me I was thinking about you." He said. "I just met you and I want to be with you all the god damn time. I am engaged to someone, you are the sister of the man who killed my wife, you are like fire in my fucking veins and I don't want to leave."

Her fierce eyes softened and she looked at him with empathy on her face. "oh baby, I didn't know…" she said and in the middle of what seemed like a fight to him she hugged him.

He pushed her from him "Don't."

"Okay…" she said softly and walked back inside.

He gathered himself and went in expecting to see her waiting for him but she was not in the living room, nor in the bedroom, but he did hear the shower. He took off his clothes and joined her; she hesitated for a moment giving him every opportunity to pull away, when he didn't she kissed his cheeks then his shoulders.

They stood there letting the multiple water streams fall on them as they held each other. His hands running trails up and down her body, she wrapped her hands around his neck and gave him a sweet tender kiss. He stilled his hands and pulled her close to him holding her in place...it was both exquisite and painful for Kendal, she knew she was falling and that always ended badly. She clung to him and did not make the kiss about sex, it was comfort, intimacy, and heartfelt.

Slowly they separated and began to wash the other, laying meaningful kisses on any bruises or scars, Kendal was careful to kiss every tattoo except for the portraits of Donna, and the kids. They let their hands linger where they wanted. When they finished they dried each other off and he carried her to the bed.

He softly kissed her lips and ran his hands down her body "What am I going to do about you?"

She opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around him "Whatever you want to." she kissed him and instead of doing anything sexual she rolled over and let him hold her as she fell asleep.

Opie laid with her in his arms, he was out of jail, his kids were upstairs happily asleep, and smell of her hair filled his nose. He was more content than he had been for a very long time, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

When he woke up there was a note next to him where her head once laid. It read 'Took the kids to school. At the shop. Sleep in.' he turned over and fell asleep again.

A few hours later he stumbled out of bed, got dressed and went to the door where there was another note 'Coffee is still warming. See you later?'


	10. Strike Two

**Strike Two**

The next few days both were so busy they did not have much time for each other, however, Monday they made a little time to sneak off.

Kendal left for lunch 5 minutes after Opie did and they met at her house. Before she could open the door he was sucking on her neck and had his arm around her. His hand was down her shirt squeezing her tits gently, teasing her flesh with his rough fingertips. She reached behind her slipped her hand into his jeans and was teasing him with tender strokes.

As it always did between them, mad passion and need for the other overtook them. Opie pressed her against the wall, pushed his jeans and jockeys down to his knees and took hers off completely. He pushed him self inside her and placed his hands on the wall beside her anchoring himself so she could work herself on his hard cock. It did not take long for her to be swirling and rocking on him moaning his name. He loved to watch her working herself on him, taking joy in every cry she made.

When he could not take the torture of not touching her while she rode him he pushed away, spun her around and kissed her firmly as she climbed him. He pressed her to the wall and entered her again, cherishing her body against his. He was about to lose it, he gritted his teeth and growled "Come for me." as he thrust deeper and slid his hand in between them to tease her clit.

"Fuuu Ohh Op..." was all she could reply before her eyes rolled back and she was lost in an ocean of orgasm, once her muscles clenched he gave one more deep plunge and stayed as he came inside her.

Afterwards she invited him in, and he made them sandwiches while she cleaned up. They staggered their arrivals back at the shop as well, shortly after that the guys left for a run to North California to meet the Tacoma chapter.

Tuesday night when the guys returned and Kendall left work, Tig took her out to Karakara to do some more shooting. He told her not to worry about toys that he had friends meeting them with lots of things for her to play with.

"I am intrigued…" she smiled slyly as they climbed in a customer's luxury vehicle and headed out "Who is meeting us?"

"Just some of the guys…" Tig explained "they don't believe Ope and I on how good you are…" Kendal gave a sound of understanding "What's going on with that anyway?"

"Opie?" Kendal asked.

"He is a brother, but…" Tig searched for the right way to put it "but we have had some things in the past, I don't want you to get pulled in the middle."

"You mean when you shot Donna?" she asked so matter of factly he looked at her to make sure she was not an automated voice.

"yeah…When I…" this was the first time she saw Tig feel a great deal of remorse but like a good soldier he swallowed it "Yes."

"Well…that is between you and him." She said pushing it aside. She was not ready to know why that had happened and what the aftermath was "and between me and him…I don't really know yet. I mean I do like him." She finally confessed "but being in my life is…not easy. We are…here." Kendal was very happy to not have to finish the conversation. God only knows what she would have said aloud, thus admitting to herself that Opie was more to here than an incredibly intense booty call.

Chibs, Jax, Clay, Juice, Kozik, Happy, Miles, and Opie were all there "So…when you said some of the guys, you meant all but the prospects and Piney?" Kendal laughed.

"And Bobby." Tig smiled. "Come on, you know you want to show off."

"This could be very fun" She hypothesized hopping out of the car and putting on a smile.

"We're here the party can start!" Tig announced.

Clay looked at him and Kendal he gave an uncomfortable grimace before opening up a box with unassembled fire arms. "These are what we have to play with."

Kendall's eyes lit up involuntarily and she floated to the guns with a look of admiration in her eyes. "Russian Ak's…." she mumbled as she started to assemble one. She did not notice all of the guys staring at her with several different expressions on their faces none were bad though. She finished assembling one of them in a manner of seconds and was checking the sights and the quality of the gun once assembled. "Oh dear." She said and finally looked up.

Clay's jaw was slack and he looked at her with a curious look "Oh dear, what?"

"The barrel is compromised she said turning the barrel towards him…There is a small imperfection in the casting right here." She said pointing out the tiniest fleck of metal sticking out on the inner rim. "It isn't going to affect the performance but the bullets will have a very distinct pattern. Forensic ballistic specialists could finger this gun in no time flat."

"Can we fix it?" Jax asked looking at the imperfection.

"Yeah it's an easy fix, just need a lighter and sandpaper. Heat it for 2 to 3 seconds run the paper over it." She said "Don't over heat or over sand to compromise the barrel and you should be good to go."

"What about these?" Clay removed another lid to reveal other fire arms.

As before her face lit up and she went to assemble one of the M16's in expert timing and checked the weight and sights. "Not bad…the balance is off just a bit. Not enough to affect the shot but when it recoils it will go ever so slightly to the left if you have any lefty triggers they will be off more than usual."

Tig said "are we going to shoot something or are you going to have Kay quality check all day?"

"We got to make the guns first, Tiggy." Jax laughed.

Kendall nodded her head and began assembling the M16's she had 7 completed when she felt Opie behind her, she took a quick breath and fumbled a piece of the gun. She blushed and was glad no one was paying attention; that was the first firearm assembly she had fumbled on in 17 years. If her dad would have seen that disrespect she would have to run 5 miles and not eat until she did 30 of the guns perfectly.

Opie bent by her ear and whispered "Deadly and beautiful, what have I gotten myself into?" he let his hand brush her ass as he went to get some ammunition from the van.

Kendal tried to hide her smile as she continued to assemble the weapons once she had finished the 12 that were in the crate she moved on to the AK's were the rest of them were working on assembling. "Can I help?" they all looked up at her and then over to the crate full of perfectly assembled guns.

"No we're about done here anyways…" came the obviously masculinity over compensation voice of Kozik.

"Okay…" Kendal smiled. "I will go set up some targets." She grabbed some posters, a bag of empty beer cans, and a staple gun. In the ruins of Karakara and the woods that surrounded it she made a nice gun range.

"Kay?" Tig called out to her.

"Uh huh?" she said looking over at him.

"I have a surprise for you in the trunk." He said throwing her the keys.

She dragged the cans back up to the van and went to the trunk. "Ooo" she sighed. "I have never played with one of these." She said taking out a CO2 cannon that shot larger objects at high velocity.

"I figured we could shoot some shit in the air and see if you could hit it…" Tig smiled and she went and hugged him.

"Thank you, for being so cool with this." She said.

"No problem." he brushed it off "if we didn't have this…what the fuck would we talk about?"

"Good point." She smirked and could hear the other guys beginning to shoot the targets she had set up.

She walked up to see their work most of them were not bad but some needed a lot of work she moved over to Juice "Your shoulders are too tight its throwing you off." She put her hands on his shoulders and said relax and when he did his aim became better.

"Thanks." Juice said without further comment.

She went up to Miles and said "Your wrist is too wobbly steel it up." He, however, had the reaction that most men do when she tried to help them with shooting.

"I'd like to see you do better, sweetheart." He challenged.

She grabbed his gun and made 7 quick shots from left to right each a center shot to the head of every one of their individual targets. Then she shot a can off the wall it flew in the air and she shot it 3 more times before it hit the ground, she dropped the clip and popped a new one in. "Firm up your fucking wrist, or you will never be able to hit what you are aiming for." She said giving his gun back, as he looked at her stupidly. She turned around to see everyone looking at her and a few laughing.

"You are pretty good." Clay said.

"Thank you." She smiled.

They continued to shoot things for a good hour and then it devolved into them drinking and throwing their beer cans in the air for Kendal to shoot. Sometimes two or three would do it to see how many she could do at once. She only missed one shot all night and it upset her. "You don't understand." She whined "The year they let me into the games I have to be flawless!" Kendal was very animate "I am not getting my foot in the door to the boys club and fuck up!"

"Tell me more about the games you keep going on about?" Tig said as they packed away the weapons.

"It is my favorite thing all year!" she gushed "We all meet out in the desert on Thanksgiving weekend. It's like a big neutral zone, no one clips anyone, and it is all under the table money so no one really talks about it. Some of the entrants are established Marksmen and some are not heard of unsavory characters. I have gone since I was 12…I was one of the first kids allowed there, only because of Dad." She elaborated "He won from 1996 to 2000...and won Drunk Shot every year." she continued to go on with a gleam of admiration in her eyes. "In 1995 they started to let in vendors there but it was a big scandal…so in 1997 they stopped but there is always networking going on. That is how I got my first clients."

"Is that piece of shit Bobby going to be there this year?" Tig asked.

"I don't see why he would be…" Kendal said "he can't aim for shit. I am pretty sure he still pisses on his shoes." She had got a strange look on her face "It really pissed him off how good I was…probably why I flaunted it so much when we were together." She shrugged.

"I think I will go with you this year if he shows up." Tig said with a sneer.

"You can't start any shit there Tig." She looked at him sternly "they take that very seriously. The last guy that got escorted off got black listed and within a week he was dead…there wasn't even a contract on him."

"what did he do to get escorted out?" Tig was curious.

"He bitched slapped one of the other contestants." She said. Tig gave a nonchalant nod.

When they went to join the guys everyone was laughing. "Kendal, lets talk about your little business." Clay said putting his arm around her shoulders. "Can't have it in Charming. Too much at stake, too close to home, you understand." Clay nodded kindly "but we got no say in Lodi…and Tig tells me you have a good mind for business."

"It's pretty fair, I got a certificate from LSU and everything." She joked.

"I don't see why we couldn't work on this together," Clay said "we have some pull in Lodi, and could use a front as well. We will be coming into more money than usual and I don't want to run it through the shop."

"I don't have fronts I have businesses, usually a bar, and I have an office in the back." She explained "It's a real business I keep it open, running, do an overhaul on it…I don't launder money through the business…that is sloppy. I have a gentleman who does that…ledgerly speaking. My businesses and consulting agency is 100% legal on paper. I even have a Better Business Bureau ranking." She looked at him "I can give you the number of somebody though."

"How do you keep your businesses legit and filter all that money?" Jax asked.

"Most of my money is imaginary…you will have cash." She looked around, "This was a porn studio right?"

Clay said "Yes, but we ain't getting back in that business it is too regulated, and cut throat."

"I would never film anything…that is right up there with shooting yourself." She scoffed "Do you still know some of the girls?" Jax nodded "What is the closest strip club?" she continued to question the crowd.

"29 miles it is in south Lodi next to the Pepsi factory." Tig said reflexively.

"Is it good?" She asked him, and he shrugged.

"You wanna go get a lap dance?" Clay asked.

"No." she answered firmly. "Give me a ball park here, are we talking plus or minus 60g's a week of money to be filtered?" She asked directly.

"Plus." Clay said and nothing more.

"You need a titty bar." She told them like she was giving them a bike on Christmas.

Most of the guys cheered. "Too regulated." Clay said.

"Bullshit." Kendal answered. "You get Bobby and Chucky to do the books. They are all cash and you will only have 2 in a 30 mile radius will make some good money…" she expounded "and with all of your porn princess contacts you can rake in more. You can clean 100g's a week easy."

"I don't know that seems a little flashy what about just a bar?" Clay said letting her go and walking back towards Jax and Tig.

"Hiding in the open is the only way you are going to do this." She declared "I don't know what you're doing but I will go ahead and assume it isn't legal…" she put up her hand while explaining this part and the other guys listened and chuckled. "You do the business right. Clean. No illegal things in the bar, guns, drugs, slap and tickles, clean. The books will be the only thing there that is not on the up and up. And if Chucky and Bobby are worth their asses with money, you will be fine."

"We will talk about it." Clay finished the conversation with a scowl.

When she got home she armed her security system and went to her guest house that was serving as her temporary office. She sat at the desk and typed in her password and then said "Jimmny Cricket" out loud and this opened up the three screens on her desks and the 3 flat screens on the wall. The screens on her desk had images and figures from the roadhouse and the abandon strip mall she had bought earlier in the month. The three flat screens had different security shots from around her house, down the street both ways, down the block, and 4 from business downtown.

She began reviewing the design pitches from 3 contractors and tinkering with her budget, she emailed the current manager to let him know she would be in soon to look at the property herself, and emailed the contractor chose letting him know she would want him to start the work soon. It was 11pm when she went in the house locked up and went to bed.

Somewhere around 3 in the morning her phone alarm went off indicating that one of her alarms had been tripped. She grabbed her gun and remotely accessed her security cameras from her phone, Kozik was in the backyard with two girls, getting into the hot tub. Kendall rolled her eyes and put her gun away. She checked the remaining cameras to insure he was not bait in a trap before going outside. "For Christ sakes Koz, at least let me know you are coming over so you don't trip my alarm…" She said interrupting a very hot and heavy make out session "Don't fuck in my hot tub. Clean up after yourself. Good night." and she turned to go back in.

"So you're not jealous?" Kozik yelled at her.

"Are you drunk again?" She answered.

"No…maybe…You kissed me!" he said loudly in an accusatory tone.

"A month ago, and it was a mistake." she said "Koz I am sorry that I lead you on. I love you as a friend. But that is it…"

Koz stood up revealing everything, as he was naked "Do you love him?" he screamed as they heard a bike pull into her drive way and stop.

"That is probably Tig…" she sighed.

"You know damn well who I am talking about." Koz screamed again.

"You're drunk, you have two topless girls in my hot tub, and you are screaming at me…" Kendall said in a belittling manner "Why the hell would I answer any of your questions?"

"Do you love him?" another scream. The girls had grown tired of this show and were getting out and putting their clothes back on.

"Come inside ladies I will call you a cab, sorry about this." Kendal said as she turned and heard a splash. Kozik had swum across the pool and got out directly in front of Kendal.

Opie came through the back gate. Kendal looked over at him and the gladness she felt was not hidden in the least she just said "Hi" in a breathy way.

"You do!" Kozik yelled and then sat his naked ass on the ground.

One of the girls came back outside looked at Opie then Kendal then the pouting naked man. "We will take care of him. Can we get a ride back to the club?" She asked Opie.

"Yeah let me go get my car." he said.

"It's okay you can take mine. Just get clothes on him." she said sweeping her hand at Kozik.

The girl nodded and yelled "Stacy come and help me with him."

The other girl came out of the house and went to help as Opie followed Kendall inside "never a dull moment," she said smiling at him.

"I can have Clay talk to him…" Op said.

"No, no, I want to keep my favors from Clay to a minimum." she said "I am pretty sure I tried his patience today anyways."

Opie smiled "you did."

"I want you to come back here and tell me about your day, and then make me scream until the sun comes up." She said as she pressed her body against his.

"Okay." he said "twist my arm." he kissed her slow and tender.

"But…I need to see Bobby Elvis tomorrow and have all my wits about me. So, you are going to drop them off and go home. If I were you I would take the kids to school in the morning they really love it when you do that." She sighed regretfully and pulled herself off him.

"You…are really going to drive me crazy." he said taking the car keys from her hand.

"That isn't the plan…" she said letting her hand stay in his longer than needed.

"There is a plan?" he smiled "when do I get clued into it."

"Tomorrow…I mean today…or rather later on tonight, preferably before midnight?" She asked.

"You'll be at the shop later?"

"Yes." she looked sad that he did not answer.

"I will drive you home." He said holding up her keys and smiling.

"How will I get there?" She questioned.

"You're the one with the plan." he said as he kissed her and went out the door.

"I've meant to start running again..." she said as she locked up her house again and went back to bed.

The next morning she packed a back pack with different clothes and a few other side items including a business plan and prospectus for Bobby Elvis. She got in her running gear and took off. It was only about 2 miles but since she hadn't run in a while it was enough to make her sweat. She was the first at the shop so she ran to the clubhouse to take a shower before getting dirtier in the shop. This girly behavior she accredited to Opie.

She walked into the bathroom to find Opie passed out on the floor with his pants to his knees and a naked blonde woman beside him. She squeaked before putting her hand over her mouth. He woke up and looked at her staring down at him eyes wide with her hand over her mouth he said "Good morning." and Kendal kicked him hard grabbed her keys that were on the floor next to him and left. From behind her he heard him yell "Fuck." but she did not wait for anything else she ran directly to her car and sped off passing Gemma as she was pulling in.

Gemma parked and got out looking around for the fire when she saw Opie pulling on his shirt and walking out saying every curse word in the book. "Troubles?" Gemma said.

"Lyla came back…" he said. "Kendall saw us. I got to go and tell her…"

"Not that one," she pointed at the road "you need to let that one settle, and go take care of your family baby."

Opie stared at the empty driveway and from behind him heard "Ope, baby? Whats wrong?" Lyla had put her clothes back on and had come out to find him "Hey Gemma, thanks for calling!"

"Hey Sweat Pea, glad to see your back." Gemma called out "I am going to call in Lowell if she doesn't come back for her shift." she said quietly to Opie, "take care of this shit."

Opie turned around to Lyla "that is our new mechanic I wanted to apologize, I think we scared her."

Kendall drove to her house and went in and let out the scream she had held in. "FUUUCK YOU!"

She then paced back and forth in anger until she settled her nerves. As she was doing this she talked aloud to herself. "Why didn't you just play it cool?! I can't think about anyone but you he said…I am going to lose my mind over you….lets tell people…won't stop me from kissing you with my firm lips…what have I gotten my self into…" she mimicked Opie's sentiments to her "But did he ever say I am not going to fuck someone else…" she mimicked a deep voice "I ruined my chance with a girl like you" she quickly changed to an overly sweet femine voice "no you didn't. I am a fucking idiot, and i've been hypnotized by your dick, I will do anything for you. I love your kids and your dad. And subconsciously made up a life where we work out so, feel free to run about fucking anyone you want. Just say sorry and eat my pussy and I will forgive you." she gave an incredible angry yell "AHHHH! What the fuck is wrong with me?!" she sat on her couch and then looked where she was "We have fucked on everything here! I am going to have to get new furniture or at least new upholstery! FUCK fuck Fuck! BUT first I have to go to work. Alexander Trager I hope you are worth all of this BULLSHIT!"

"I'm not." said a voice at the door. She was so into herself analytical loathing rant she forgot to lock the door and did not hear her brother walk in. "How you doing, kid?"

"Fine."

"I can tell." Tig said leaning against the wall. "Gemma said you don't have to come back today."

"Fuck that." She said standing up "I am going into work, I am finishing the bike and the Lexus…Then I am going to give my prospectus to Bobby and then I am going to drink."

"You sure?" Tig said.

"Abso-fucking-lutely." she said "I'm not even pissed at him." she declared "I'm pissed at myself! For making it more than it was..._NO_ man has the ability to hurt me anymore." she bellowed "I just had a lapse of memory. That's fixed now. I have to change and I will see you at the shop." She turned to go to the bedroom "What did Clay & the guys say about the business opportunity?"

"We vote on it today." Tig said. "Either way Jax said he would help you in Lodi."

She shrugged "Great! Do you want any couches or a bed?"

"This is brand new." He pointed to her living room set.

"I just don't like the color." she smiled.

"You serious about the couches and bed?" Tig asked when she got back from changing, and he laughed because she was wearing clothes a bit more revealing than she normally would. "Rubbing it in his face?"

"You bet cha. To both."

"Can I come and get them later?"

"Sure, send the prospects by whenever just let me know so the alarms don't go off." She said "you coming…"

"I kind of wanted to sleep." Tig smiled weakly.

"You know where your room is, still not finished yet but it will get done soon." she smiled at him "Tig I think you are worth it."


	11. Keep it Together

**Keep it Together**

"Hello, everybody sorry I am late" called Kendall's cheery voice from the front of the shop as she dropped her bag in her locker.

The guys who had no idea what transpired earlier called muffled hellos and grunts. Gemma stepped out of her office "Kay can I see you in the office."

"Sure thing Gemma." she kept a sincere grin on her face and a polite air to her voice as she walked in "What's up?"

"Cut the crap. I told Tig to tell you to stay home." Gemma said closing the office door.

"I'm fine Gemma," she said.

"To hell you are. You saw Ope with Lyla and that shook you up." Gemma said pointing her finger at Kendall. "Take a day to shake it out and come back to work. You were the first piece of tail he got since he got out of jail, I can only imagined the shit Ope said to you."

"It is a non-issue. To assume that I need a day to recalibrate is to assume that my feelings for Opie were genuine, I genuinely liked fucking him, which is where it ended." She said this in such a convincing unemotional manner Gemma looked like she believed her.

"Believe it when I see it, Get to work." Gemma said and opened the door.

Kendall went back to work and worked harder and faster than she had before. By the time lunch came around she had turned out every job in the shop and was working on the bike Piney was rebuilding. She was so intensely concentrating on getting the motor to turn she did not notice Opie pulling up in the tow truck and unloading a car directly behind her. Jax was watching Opie stare at her back at wondered why Kendall seemed bound and determined to look at nothing else but the EVO engine in front of her.

He walked up to Opie and said "Hey Ope, whats up man?"

Opie stopped staring at Kendall's back and said as quietly as he could "Lyla came back last night," and whispered "Kendall saw us this morning. I thought she was going to have the day off."

When the tow truck made the giant bang on the ground behind her Kendall pulled out the ear buds and turned around "Hey Guys! Sorry I didn't hear you there," she smiled brightly "We turned everything else out so all the other guys are at the club house. Whats wrong with this truck?" Opie and Jax looked very confused with her bright manner "Habla English? Spaken the Deutche?" she kidded.

"Battery can't keep a charge, probably the alternator." Opie said.

"No biggie then. When is the owner going to come and get it?" She asked wiping the grease off of her hands with a rag.

"Tomorrow."

"I can have it done by the end of the day, if you want to call them and let him know." she said unlatching the chain from the front.

"We charge for labor by the hour let one of the other guys do it." Jax said. "Plus, Tig told me you had some sort of presentation before the vote?"

"Two seconds…" she skipped to her locker retrieved a sample business model she had worked up for them and handed them to Jax. "It is 2 copies one for whoever the other for Bobby Elvis one is the business plan and prospectus the other is the Budget and breakdown of needs and costs."

"These look really good." Jax said as Opie gawked.

"Thanks! I approved the design for the bar I bought outside of town too. Tig said you wanted to help me with that…Do you want to go take a look so you will have an idea if it passes the vote?" Kendal asked.

"Sure."Jax said.

"Let me go change…" She grabbed her bag and then was out the back door headed to the clubhouse.

"Well that was ass awkward." Jax said. "but not really."

"She didn't even give me a second glance." Opie said.

"Did you want her to?" Jax questioned.

"I don't know what to do…." Opie said.

"I would feel bad for you buddy, but your options are a porn star and a hot piece of ass who is rich & dangerous" Jax said looking at him "this isn't exactly Sophie's choice Ope."

The sound of bikes behind them ruined their all too deep conversation it was Clay & Chibs followed by the Van and one Aztec biker. The Van pulled in the shop and a prospect jumped out and started to close all the doors. Without explanation Ope and Jax started to close the doors too; they shut the last one when Clay, Chibs, and the visiting Aztec were inside.

They pulled a man who was bound and had tape over his mouth out of the van and then ripped off the tape and he cursed loudly in Spanish. "What he say?" Clay asked the Aztec.

"I'm fourth generation man….I don't speak Spanish." said the Latino biker.

"We have got to find someone who speaks fucking Spanish!" Clay lamented out loud.

"He didn't say anything that useful.." Kendal said from behind him "Just that your mother fucks pigs in hell."

Clay turned to see her and was not pleased. "Where the fuck did you come from?"

"Arizona originally…" she smiled " Me and Jax were going to Lodi. I was coming back to get him. She spoke over the man who continued to curse in Spanish. "He said that your wife fucks for bricks to build your daughter a whore house."

"Tell that sack of shit I don't have a daughter and ask him who the fuck took our shipment and tried to take us out?" Clay said.

"Can I be mean to him?" Kendal asked kindly.

"If you think it will work." Clay chuckled. "I might enjoy watching this…she is a fire cracker." he told the other guys and took a step back to give her the floor.

First she went up to Chibs and whispered in his ear "Whatever I do, play along and seem really turned on. Now give me your knife and slap my ass." his eyes widened but he did as she asked.

She smiled cracked her neck and then focused on the man on his knees, she began speaking in Spanish and no one really understood what she said but it sounded sickly sweet. He answered by spitting at her feet. She laughed a haunting laugh. "Chibs, Jax I want him on the ground." the guys seemed to know what she was asking they pushed him down flat and stepped on his shoulders. Clay even grabbed the tape on his legs and tethered it to the tow chain. She demanded her to tell him her name in Spanish and he laughed at her. She straddled him and began to cut open his shirt leaving small cuts in the fabric and his chest. Your name she demanded.

"Salvador!" he said looking apprehensive.

She started to say something in Spanish that seemed to frighten him, and she giggled at his wide-eyed terror. As instructed Chibs looked so turned and rubbed his self, looking at her Jax gave him a strange look "I just like to watch her work man." he said straightening his junk.

She smiled up and him and licked her lip seductively and returned her attention to Salvador. She ripped open his shirt and dragged the knife across his bare flesh leaving a pink mark on his skin. She asked the same questions again in Spanish and he shook his head violently. The other guys understood her saying thank you in Spanish but were confused about what followed. Whatever she said seemed to make him skeptical until she reached up and pulled on Chibs's jacket until he was face to face with her and she gave him a big kiss. Then when she let go she licked the scar on the side of his face and said something else in Spanish that seemed to scare the pinned man into confessing because he started to talk quickly and to confess everything there was to confess.

Kendal translated the confession to the guys it had to do with drug cartels and the other bike gangs.

"Is that all?" Clay asked.

She looked back at Clay and then down at the man with a curious look on her face. "No I think he can give us more…" she said in English then turned to him and said it in Spanish. She pulled Chibs to her again and made him get on his knees beside her she leaned in and whispered "you are doing great. I need you to grab my tits and suck on my neck."

"Whatever you say dear." came his thick Irish brogue.

He did as she instructed and she licked the knife before putting it back on Salvador pushing down harder and cutting the skin "I will tell you whatever you want just get this psycho bitch off of me." he pleaded from the others.

"Oh you do habla English." Clay said. "We ain't gonna be as nice to you as she was…"

"Are you going to carve into me while your boyfriend fucks you?" Everyone looked rather shocked.

"Please!" Kendall said "the way you ratted out I wouldn't have pricked you before you gave up your own mother." She got up and wiped his spit on his pants. "Fucking Amateur!" she cursed the man on the floor then turned to Chibs "Thanks sweetie." She said kissing him on the cheek.

"Any time love." he said smiling.

"You ready?" she looked at Jax.

"No she isn't." Opie said "we need to talk." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the empty office. "What the fuck was that?"

"Effective interrogation." she answered.

"How? Why? What the fuck Kendall!?" Opie yelled.

"Did you think I was a wilted innocence lost flower or something?" She looked at him quizzically. "You have seen my scars…" she gestured to several parts of her body where Opie had seen small imperfections. "Where the hell did you think I got them? Look." she put her hand on his chest "I am not a violent person, but I have a sordid background which equips me to handle situations like that." she removed her hand and went to leave.

"What about this morning?" he said softly.

She took a big sigh "Oh, that." she turned around to face him again she was still a little raw from earlier "What do you want from me Ope?" she paused and gave a sigh "Do you want me to tell you that I am sad? That I don't want you to go home to your family? That I want you to pick me? Or that I am fine with being your ass on the side?" her voice was thick with emotions that he could not understand.

"No…I just want to know…" He gave a gafaw "Why are you so damn difficult?"

"How about the truth Opie…I have never lied to you Ope, and I am not going to start now…" she started to get louder and angrier letting her more primal emotions break her calm exterior. "The truth is that I am fucking furious—Not at you though. I'm pissed off that I didn't get what I wanted!" she could see him open his mouth to further question but she pressed on louder and more animatedly "And what I want is to brand my name on your ass, take you home, and fuck you and then fuck you some more. Get up and make pancakes for your kids before they go to school, then climb back in bed and fuck you again." Opie was trying to hide his smile he really loved watching her rant "But I can't have that…" she said slumping down and he was no longer smiling. "Because you are engaged, to that skinny blonde with great legs…who should stay away from me for just a couple days, cause I kind of want to bash in her pretty fucking face." He looked grim. "I won't." she assured him in a regretful tone.

She took a breath and considered editing the next part but drove on "I am not going to do any of that because deep down inside I am just like all those miserable cunts out there and I just want _YOU_ to be happy." She sounded very flustered "Every fiber of me wants to slap, kiss, or fuck you…both—All. I don't fucking know!" she finally threw her hands up in surrender "Just go! Go to you small asses porn star fiancé and take your family out to dinner and live your happy fucking life. I will be fine."

"I am still having a hard time with it." He said quietly

"Well," she patted him on the back "I am sure you and Lyla have some things to work out…I am not going to be one of them…" she said and then looked at him sternly "and I am not going to help you through them. That is for someone else to do." she said "But you can count on me for anything to do with Piney or your kids. I love them more than you can know. They are really fantastic. Any time you need me let me know. I'll see you around Ope." she sounded tender again said heading to the door.

He reached out and grabbed her hand "I…"

"NO." she pulled her hand away from him "I have to go shoot or fight something…I don't deal with pent-up aggression well." and she left him in the office. "Jax I will catch up to you later." She said on her way out of the shop ignoring the body strung up upside down on the hydraulic lift.

She was in her car and heading to the bar she now owned just outside the Charming city limits. It was a small looking roadhouse with a wood sign above the doors that read "Jerry's" and a few neon beer signs in the barred windows. She was not in the mood for business so this time she would not tell them who she was she rationalized. "Just a girl in need of a drink or a whole bottle of whiskey." She muttered to herself before she opened the doors.

She strode over to the bar grabbed a stool and ordered three shots of Jameson and in drank all of them within seconds, then ordered Jameson & Ginger ale and sipped on it as she padded over to the Jukebox and fed it a $20 and began to pick an array of songs. She sang them out loud to herself as she went back to the bar and ordered 3 more shots. She swayed to her song selections trying hard not to think about her own emotions, and delving into the heartbreak in the songs.

She was belting out "Angel from Montgomery" out of tune and time with her eyes closed when the doors opened and a gaggle of Bikers came in. She quieted down and ordered another drink. Two shots later the bartender wandered over and cleared the shot glasses from in front of her and poured her another. "You keep that up, you are going to need a ride, little lady."

From behind her she heard "Don't worry…I'll give her a ride home."

The bikers with red patches were in the corner, they had been cat calling her and asking her to join them since they came in; thus far she had ignored them. Kendal ordered another and drank it down before the largest of them stood up and sat next to her "I'll be real nice to you, baby…you can believe that." He said invading her personal space but not touching her yet.

"Jimmy, you leave her alone." said the bartender to help Kendall out.

She put one finger up in Jimmy's face in conveying _just one moment_. She pulled out her phone and dialed her brother. "Hey sis, you doing alright?" Tig asked.

"Hey sugar, I am going to need a ride home a little later." She explained and Jimmy finally put his arm around her "and possibly bail money."

"Where are you at?"

"Roadhouse off of 85 right outside of town." Kendall explained while

Tig waved to a couple of the guys and mouthed "Kay's in trouble."

"How is your standing with the Red Jackals?" she asked.

"There a bullshit club from LA. Is someone hassling you?" Tig said as he strode to his bike. "you tell those douche bags I am your brother they will back off."

"I can handle them." She sounded amused.

"We will be there in 10 minutes." Tig said hanging up the phone. He looked at the other guys who had moved to come with him all on their bikes and ready to go. Tig looked at Opie and said "Maybe it's best if you sit this one out man."

Opie looked like someone splashed him with cold water and stabbed him at the same time. "Yeah, I get it…" and he watched the rest of the guys speed away.

As Kendal hung up the phone Jimmy said "Daddy doesn't like waiting…" and he pressed close to her and kissed her shoulder.

She removed his hand and gave him a tiny push "I do not want to have your company. Touch me again and I will break your nose and make you lose that stupid fucking smile from your face." And drank her next shot.

"Oh she is a feisty one!" he said pressing against her and pulling her close.

Kendall looked apologetically at the bartender and said "I did warn him…" she mumbled before pushing him back and slapping him with loose wrist first in the left ear then in the right making a loud pop and blowing his equilibrium off. She then elbowed his face and heard his nose break

"Stupid fucking cunt! Now your going to get it!" he said staggering and bleeding from his nose and tried to punch her. As she dodged the punch she took a hold of his forearm led him into her elbow one way and then the other.

Kendal released him smiled and took a step to her left and he finally landed a punch as he was punching the air wildly, "You hit like girl, Pussy!" she spat at him and laughed.

"Do you know who your messing with bitch?!" he bellowed before she stepped forward and landed a solid punch to his chin staggering him back enough for her to pivot her body and land a kick to his liver. This took him down to his knees wheezing in pain.

He growled and lunged at her when he got close enough she used her leg as a fulcrum and rolled to the ground catapulting him over her and on top of a table. No one could really tell if the cracks were coming from Jimmy or from the table breaking. He did not get up he just made grunts of pain and yelled "goddamnit get that cunt!"

The three other guys rushed her from behind. The first she was able to flip over her back and the next she gave a revolving back kick to his solar plexus. The third stood back and pulled a knife she backed up enough to have all three in her sights. "Well now we have a fair fight." She giggled.

The two unarmed men stepped back and let the biker with a knife come forward "Cut that bitch Tom!"

Tom lurched forward thrusting the knife at her, she anchored her legs and grabbed the knife wielding forearm and hugged the wrist to her turning the knife in his hand and into hers, she then used her back leg to kick him in the temple for good measure releasing him at the same time and he stumbled backwards, lost his balance, and toppled to the floor. "This is a nice knife." Kendal said and laid it on the bar and looked at the bartender that now had a glock aimed at her. "I don't want any trouble." Kendall said putting her arms up.

"Neither do I." he said. "I don't know what hell you came out of girly, but you ain't bringing it to my bar!"

"I get that…" she said.

The door busted open and Tig yelled "Phil Stop pointing that gun at my sister, now!"

Kendal took this small distraction to grab the top of the gun jamming it she pulled his arm forward and bent his wrist back making him release the gun. She let him go and turned to Tig "Sorry."

Tig looked around at the 4 big men 2 of which were on the ground still and the others rubbing their chest and back and the gun that was now in Kendal's hand then looked at Jax and Kozik who had come with him. "Looks like she has things under control…let me buy you guys a drink." He smiled at her "so what you drinking sis?"

She took the last shot of Jameson that was still waiting for her. "Whiskey."

"I think you broke my ribs!" yelled one of the guys.

She looked over her shoulder do him "Don't be such a baby I didn't kick you hard enough to break anything…" she chided him "Now, he…"she pointed at Jimmy who had yet to get up "He's gonna need help."

"What did you do to these guys?" Jax asked walking up to the bar and sitting in on the other side of her.

"Jax," she looked at him very seriously "Never fuck with a Marine's daughter…they will win."

"yes ma'am." He said.

Kozik came up and sat next to Jax "I am glad she likes us."

"You were pushing it with that bullshit last night soldier." Kendall looked at him sternly.

"Won't happen again." He said holding up his hands in surrender.

"So you and Ope good?" Jax asked.

"Yeah," she said "as we are going to get I guess." She drank the other shots that were lined up for her "Your, Mom's gonna be pissed though…"

"Why?" he asked and he turned to watch the other bikers pick up their friend and make their way out of the bar "Fellas, this stays between us…"

Tommy nodded "I ain't telling anyone a 150 pound girl kicked our asses."

Kendal threw and empty shot glass and it hit him in the head "136 dickhead!" they left quickly with no further comment after that. "I have to quit the shop to work on the new business."

"You found a place already?" Koz asked.

"You're sitting in it." Kendal said.

"This place?!" Jax was looking around in disbelief.

The bartender turned around "You are the new owner?"

"Hi." Kendal said standing up and stumbling "I am your new boss." She stuck her hand out to shake his hand and he flinched. "I am not going to hit you…" she smiled. He cautiously took her hand a shook it. "I will be back next week with the contractor for the new…" she gave a wave of her hand and slured most of what she was saying. "Tiggy? I think I might need that ride now." And she sat back down.

"How many has she had?" Kozik asked.

"I think that was her 12th shot in an hour...not counting the ones she had before then" The bartender said.

"I'm fine." She said "but just in case, wil you gentlemen excuse me…" she stumbled to the bathroom and made herself vomit and splashed her face with water. When she came back the guys were standing waiting for her. "Much better."

"We got to go." Jax said as they all left; Kendall slowly stumbling behind them.

"Koz!" she called out "I think I am going to ride with you…." She said "too drunk to ride with Tig." She tried to explain but settled on "don't get any ideas, soldier." As she sloppily got on his bike and wrapped her arms around him laying her cheek on his back and passed out.

They arrived back at the shop and Kozik carried her to the apartment in the back and left her to sleep it off while they dealt with an issue at the club. She woke up with an aching head and body and she was positive she was still drunk. She went to the bathroom and took a hot shower to relax her muscles and found some pain killers for her head.

Kendal did not put her clothes back on because they stank like bar and had blood on them. She searched the drawers and found a pair of clean mens boxer briefs and a SAMCRO tank top, she figured it would have to do. She finally wondered out of the apartment and ran smack into Opie.

"Hey" she said "What time is it?"

"About 10 at night." He looked her up and down he reached out and lifted her face so he could see it fully "Who did that to you?" he gently grazed her hair back from her swollen cheek.

All of her early resolve disappeared and she looked at him with such a thirst "just some guy, who didn't know how to treat a lady…" she said trying hard not to climb him.

"Did Tig, kill him?" Ope asked brushing her other cheek with his hands to cup her face.

"No…" she said lightly "I did cause internal damage though…" but the rest of the explanation was never said because they were kissing. He pulled away from her and she pulled him into the room she had just left and tossed him on the bed "This is the last time!" she locked the door and looked at him very intently "make it good."

She crawled on top of him and peeled off her shirt; he slowly kissed her shoulders and neck and behind her ears "I want to make this last all night." He whispered in her ear and kissed her and his hands started to caress her body "If this is it, I don't want it to be over…" he kissed his way to her other ear "for a long time." She gave a whimper of pleasure.

When they kissed again it was long and slow neither wanting to go further for fear it would end. He worshipped every part of her body slowly with his hands then his lips and then his tongue. She rubbed her body up and down his and let her hands travel everywhere. She kissed the outline of each of his tattoos and nibbled on his neck. It took them hours to even get to sex, and several more making incredibly slow and sensual love to each other. She was trembling in his arms when he came inside her, and they laid there like that for some time more before they got dressed.

"I'm going to miss you…" he broke the silence first. They really had not said anything since they started hours ago.

"Thanks…I will miss you too, Opie…" she said and then looked at him with sad eyes. He pulled her into his lap "you're going to have a great life, Ope." She kissed his lips and hugged him she got up and grabbed her dirty clothes, shoes, and purse and left quickly before he could make her stay.

* * *

Kendal was still too drunk to drive, so she snuck out as inconspicuously as possible, and began to walk home. She made it outside the gates before someone saw her. Chibs & Juice were sitting on the curb and looked up at her "Hey Gorgeous." Chibs called.

"Hey," she waved at them walking over "any chance you know who these belong to?" Kendal gestured at her jockey's and shirt.

"You know…" said Juice. "you need a ride?"

"No, I think I am going to walk…need to clear my head." She yawned. "Will you tell Tiggy I went home?"

"You're going to walk?" Juice looked concerned and then looked at Chibs.

"That might not be such a good idea, deary." Chibs said. "I'll give you a ride." he jumped up and went to get his bike.

Kendal was not too happy about it but gave in and walked back to the gate. Juice was talking to her about the fight at the bar when a sherriff's car pulled up.

"Ah come on man!" Juice protested as the officer got out of the car and approached.

"Mr. Ortiz, it is time for a surprise drug test, as a stipulation of your parole." He smiled at Juice and then looked at Kendal. "I don't believe we have met…Misses?"

"Miss Devlin. Kendal Devlin. We have not met, as we would have no occasion to." She smiled and presented her hand.

He looked at her with mild curiosity and shook it back. "That is a big shiner you have there, would you like to press charges against any of these men?"

"These men?" she scoffed "No, they came and saved me," she looked at him and tilted her head "I hate to be rude, because I utterly respect officers of the law, but aren't you suppose to ask questions before accusing people of things?"

"I apologize, you just looked like you needed some help…" he back pedaled.

"Ah, but you did not offer help you offered to arrest someone who did nothing." Kendal smiled at him "I realize that they are loud, and rowdy but before you judge them you should get to know them."

By that time Chibs had eased up on his bike. "You ready precious?" she nodded and hopped on.

"Good evening officer," she nodded at him then looked at Juice "And darlin' remember in the state of California they have to give you 2 hours warning before testing you for anything…not that it would matter because I know you have been a good boy." she beamed at him and looked behind her Opie was staring at her sadly. "Lets go."

Chibs waved as they drove away.


	12. The big Deal

**The Big Deal**

The next couple months flew by so quickly Kendal did not have time to feel anything about any situation; she buried herself so deep in her work that she barely saw anyone. She gave her two weeks' notice to Gemma who seemed to expect it and said she did not have to stay on for the two weeks just finish out the week because the guys were leaving on a run.

The weeks after that she essentially lived on the phone and in her car, she had contractors finish her home, start on the roadhouse, and begin a lengthy remodeling of the strip mall she was remodeling one side to be a gentleman's club, the other end was her consulting office and she planned on spiffing up the spaces between for rental.

The roadhouse would be her home base for a few months until the office was up and running. Six and a half weeks of renovations later the bar was finished. She had added a kitchen, a back patio, and a second floor. The remodeled bottom floor was designed to maximize space to accommodate the four pool tables, two air hockey tables, two foosball tables, a shuffle board, a small stage with room to stand and/or dance in front of it, an amazing jukebox, a few scattered high tables with stools, and of course the new larger bar in the middle of the room. The second story was built in as a frame to the first floor, it had mostly tables and chairs and couches for lounging but there were a few arcade games and pinball machines up there as well. The sign outside now said 'Beverly's'. In the back of the bar there was a separate entrance to her temporary offices.

Business had picked up significantly, not just because they now had friendly female wait staff dressed in short black shorts and tank tops, or because the food was actually very good, or even because Tig and the guys came in often. Kendal had managed to balance fun dive bar feel with a warm roughness that bikers enjoyed and word spread.

In her weeks of all work and no play the people she saw the most of were Juice & Kozik.

Kozik, had come to check on her a few times each time she swore she was okay and said he need not worry, but he kept coming and checking on her, finally she hired him as a bouncer if he wanted to take care of her and make sure things were okay here, he could do it on the clock.

She also hired Juice, in all honesty it was trickery on her part. She hired him for his "hacking" ability but was using the time to teach him about better programs, apps, and technology safety for him to bring to SAMCRO. She was distancing herself, but that did not mean she didn't care. This was her way of contributing without getting too involved, and without flat out saying '_your shit is out dated_'.

She had only seen the kids twice in the last few weeks and that upset her greatly as well. Once she got the manager for the bar she planned to get with Piney on having them over for the weekend. She had given them a code to her alarm so they could get into the back yard and swim when they wanted as long as they had an adult there. They had taken advantage of that a few times leaving her thank you cards and drawings, it made her happy that they were doing so well, however, she was unpleased that most of the time it was Lyla that brought them over, Lyla was their go to now, and neither Lyla or the kids knew how that could be uncomfortable for her.

Late one night she was working on setting up all of her old lines of communication with her clients so she could re-establish that business by the end of the month a little ahead of schedule. She was also rather tired and needed to come in early tomorrow to hire a new manager for the Bar, she also had plans with Tara tomorrow night for the first time in what seemed like ages.

She went to the bar on her way home to say goodnight to the assistant manager, and Tig who was having fun with the new staff. Kozik was working the door "You okay babe?" he asked when she got to the door.

"Yeah I am just tired." she smiled and went to go in

"Opie & Lyla are in there." Kozik warned her.

"Good! Love new customers…" she said going in and taking a big breath before going in. "Hello There!" she beamed at the small group around the bar.

"Kay Girl!" Chibs yelled and took her in his arms giving her a hug and a spin. "I miss your pretty face around the shop!" he said putting her down and kissing her on the cheek. "It's no fun checking out Lowell's ass."

"I miss your pretty face too…" she said kissing his cheek back. "You are always welcome to come by here or the house…" she said happily "feels like I haven't been home for months!" they discussed going out and letting out some steam at Karakara again.

"Maybe you can show me the thing where a gun's pointed at you and you grab it from the guy…" Tig teased.

"For you…" she said "I probably can do that."

"Tig said you leveled this place a while ago." Chibs added.

"Why I don't drink boys…" she explained "that, and I end up rubbing up on people like a cat in heat…" Opie choked his beer.

"Let's buy this girl a drink!" Chibs joked.

"Maybe just one, I do have a date tomorrow…" she laughed calling out her order to the new bartender watching Opie stare at her.

"Who?" Tig said his eyes narrowing on her.

"Is this you being protective?" she eyed him playfully.

"No…yeah, Koz said you have been too busy for anything but work." Tig explained.

"I have. I am just going out with Tara tonight…no need to worry." She rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to say hey before I left." She said giving a few hugs around "I miss you guys!" she got to Opie but did not hug him "Hey Ope…"

"Hey…" he said uncomfortably and Lyla elbowed him "Kendal this is my wife Lyla."

"Hi!" Lyla beamed and gave Kendal a hug "I am so happy to finally meet you! I am so sorry you couldn't make it out to the wedding…"

"I am too…" Kendal said as sincerely as she could fake "That was the day that the electricity shorted here and the bathroom flooded…Biggest mess you have ever seen! I heard it was very nice though. Ellie left me a letter telling me about it." She smiled warmly.

Lyla smiled and they chit chatted for a minute and every word they shared seemed to make Opie more uncomfortable. "Well I better get going!" Kendal said when she finished her watered down drink "Lyla it was so good to meet you finally! Boys I will see you later!" and she started to leave.

"Let me walk you to your car," Opie said and Kendal gave him the strangest look "I need to talk to you about next weekend…" she cocked her head "the kids are going to stay with you…"

"Oh yeah! I told you it has been a long day…" and she continued to walk and Opie followed when she got to the door Kozik was talking with some people at the door and she called "I'm leaving babe, see you tomorrow." Kozik turned to see her with Opie and turned red.

"Sooo?" Kendal said when they were outside. "Piney said he would drop the kids off at 6 on Saturday night did that change?"

"No." Opie said and once they were around the corner of the building he stopped and pushed her against the wall and kissed her.

She was tired and knew better than to give in to this but she had no will power when he kissed her, she kissed him back and it wasn't until someone drove into the driveway and headlights almost exposed them did she manage to push him away. "No!" she finally yelled at him "We are done with that…you are married…and…and…fuck you." she returned to her stride to her car.

"I…." he called out to her he had a lot to say but what came out was "Pop will drop them off." as she turned the other corner he kicked the ground and punched the wall. "Fuck."

He strode back in the bar trying to look normal. When he made it back Chibbs & Juice were talking about Kendal of course… "Bullshit man…" Juice said.

"They are…" Chibs insisted.

"What's going on?" Opie asked.

"This Irish monkey thinks Kay's tits grew…" Juice explained.

"They have…" This came from Opie & Chibs in unison. Lyla was walking back to them so the conversation about breast devolved into talking about porn with Lyla laughing and giving them insider information and making Opie very uncomfortable.

* * *

The next day went by quickly and she was at Tara's enjoying a nice dinner and catching up. Tara brought out a bottle of wine but Kendall did not want any. "I have been so nauseous lately…and even the smell of red wine makes me gag" she explained.

Tara looked at her concerned. "Have you been really tired lately?" Kendall nodded "Shortness of breath?"

"Not frequently but sometimes." she explained "It's just the stress, no need to worry Tara. I am going to hire someone to manage the bar full-time and then my stress will quickly dissipate…mostly…"

"Have you been having weird dreams lately?" Tara probed more.

"Yeah, not nightmares or anything just strange…lots of fish." Kendal said confused on how Tara could know such things

"Honey, I think you are pregnant." Tara said.

"No!" Kendall laughed "No really, I can't be…well I can…but I can't after I lost Damon they said I couldn't have kids. Annnd, if I was pregnant it would be Opie's…who is married…" she explained.

"Things happen. Were you safe with Opie?" Tara saw the look on Kendal's face and knew the answer "I will go and get a test with you." Tara grabbed Kendal's hand and pulled her a long calling out "Jax, honey we are running to the store be right back."

"Alright babe." came from the back bedroom.

Kendall protested all the way to the store and back to Tara & Jax's place and while she peed on the little stick. She protested all the way until she saw a plus sign. Then she screamed. She hid the test in the trash washed her hands and came out of the bathroom. Jax was standing there looking concerned "Are you okay?"

"Yea, sorry, just saw a spider…I didn't wake the babies did I?" she asked strained.

"You don't seem the type to scare easy." he said chuckling "the kids are fine. Go have some fun with Tara she needs someone besides my mom to have fun with."

"Spiders…" her eyes were big and she walked into the kitchen to find Tara waiting with a stack of books. "Holy shit Tara, what am I going to do?"

"It is your decision to make." Tara said supportively.

"Oh, no! I didn't mean that…" Kendal said in a strange manner "I mean I am having it…it may be my last chance, but I am not supposed to have…what if I lose this one too?" Kendal looked terrified.

Tara was a champ. She calmed Kendal down as a friend would, then gave her lots of positive medical information as a doctor would, gave her a number to an excellent obstetrician at her Hospital, and said she would help her every step of the way. Kendal soaked in all the information but her thoughts were racing so fast she felt dizzy, finally she said "I should go home."

"Do you really want to be alone right now?" Tara asked.

"No…I just…I…"

Jax walked in to see Kendall looking terrified Tara holding her hand and a stack of books about pregnancy on the table "Oh shit! Does Ope know?" and for the first time in her life Kendall fainted.

When she came to she was laying on Jax couch with Tara putting a cold compress on her head and sitting by her "How are you feeling?" Tara asked kindly.

"Ope can't know." were her first words.

"It's his kid too." Jax said from the chair across the room.

"He can't know now…at least." she said "Lyla and him are just now getting things back together. I promised I wouldn't fuck anything up for him. Especially if I might lose it again." she instinctively put her hands to her stomach protecting of the fetus inside. "I will go and see the doctor tomorrow if he has space."

"Kay you can't keep this from him…" Jax said.

"Don't worry about it Jax. I will tell him, just not now" Kendall said sitting up. She hugged Tara "Thank you so much." she turned to Jax "I will tell him, once I know what is going to happen."

Jax nodded and gave her very gentle eyes "It will be okay."

"I certainly hope so." Kendall said.


	13. And it all falls down

**And it all falls down**

Tara went with Kendal to her obstetrician appointment and cried with her when they heard a very healthy heartbeat and perfectly healthy baby inside her. "Well I guess I proved that doctor wrong." Kendall laughed through her tears.

After the doctor explained that the baby was doing great and her body was adjusting well, he wanted to her to start prenatal vitamins right away because she was so far along in her pregnancy just past her first trimester, he also let Kendal know that she would be showing very, very soon. Then the doctor printed out a couple of screen shots for them. "You ladies are going to be great parents."

This made them laugh even harder. "She already is…I am the newbie…and Doc we are not…" they giggled more as he blushed.

They left that side of the hospital and headed to Tara's office and found Gemma both of them hid the sonogram photos behind their backs. "Gemma what are you doing here?" Tara asked.

"I was hoping to catch you for lunch so we could talk about Abel's birthday party." Gemma said but she looked spooked.

"We just got back. Sorry Gem, I would have asked you to come, Tara and I were talking about having a surprise birthday party for Jax at my place." Kendall tossed back.

"Okay," she said not evening questioning it "Maybe next week we all go out for Dinner and discuss both." Gemma grabbed her bag and left.

"Shit." Tara said.

"What's wrong?" Kendall asked.

"Nothing…Do mind if I tell Jax?" Tara asked.

"Not at all, I guess I am going to have to start telling people I am going to be as big as Brazil in a few weeks. I am not sure how I am going to tell Opie" Kendall said.

"It maybe easier to just rip that band-aid off," Tara said before going on a strictly professional line of conversation "You need to double your protein and liquid intake, and get lots of rest." She instructed. "Also be sure to pick up the new prenatal vitamins the doctor prescribed. You are in for a rough few months. Call tomorrow and make your next appointment." She then saw the worry in Kendall's eyes "Opie will deal with it…what's important is for you to be as stress free as possible."

"Yes ma'am" Kendall said and hugged Tara "I will see you later this week…we have to go shopping after all."

"Yep." Tara said. "We should go before the guys get back."

Kendall nodded and said "See you later, Honey" she said the last word mockingly.

"You got it babe." Tara gave her best butch impression and they both laughed as Kendal left.

When she was gone Tara closed her office door. She picked up her phone and texted Jax

'Kay's baby is doing great. Love you, come home soon.'

400 miles away Jax was sitting in a porn studio in Pasadena waiting to talk to Georgie Caruso about a deal and Opie sat in Lyla's make-up chair idly looking around waiting to make up from their last fight. Jax got the text and smiled.

"What's up man?" Opie asked trying hard to distract himself.

"Just got some good news from Tara." Jax was still smiling when Georgie came out to them.

* * *

Friday, Kendal was on her way out of her office to pick up Tara for her first big baby shopping spree when her phone rang. "KLD consulting, how can I help you?"

"You sound great darling." came the voice at the other end of the phone.

"Uncle Theo?"

"Can't fool you." he laughed.

"Oh Uncle Theo, I am so glad to hear from you." she said honestly "I was going to call next week when I was 100% set up, but I am pretty much operational now do you need me?"

"You are a gem." he said.

"Theo what is wrong? You never call unless you need me or something is wrong." she sounded concerned. "did you go back to the doctor about that lump in your side?" she sounded desperate.

"No, no, no…honey. The guys were just getting antsy and I told them you would call." Theo sighed "a while back I told your dad I would keep an eye on you…I haven't been doing my best on that. I don't like these bikers you are with now but I know you always wanted to find that brother of yours..."

"Theo I have great news." she swallowed the lump in her throat "I am pregnant." he was the first person she really got to tell.

"That's great dear. I know how much you wanted one and how you were crushed when you lost yours and Bobby Jr.'s…" Theo cleared his throat "And the father?"

"Doesn't matter. Fathers are nothing but trouble anyways…" she joked "As long as you have an uncle that spoils you rotten they should be fine, right?"

"Absolutely." He said. "So next week, you are cutting it close."

"I had some other things to settle first." she said with a touch of sarcasm.

"I see." he chuckled. "Am I going to see you at the games in November?"

"Not even a bun in the oven could keep me away from the games!" she exclaimed "The doctor said that once I get past 16 weeks I am in a good place, I can't run a marathon or anything but I can act normally. The last month or so I am may need to be on bed rest so I am have to get everyone situated with files for about two months and then go on Maternity leave…." she thought for a second "How mad are the guys going to be, once I come back I have to take off again?"

"Not very. They will be happy for you…or else," Theo said assuredly.

"You are the best Theo." She said.

"Bye, bye honey, you take care of yourself. Have fun at shopping." He said as he hung up.

She thought a minute about calling the number back and asking him how he knew about shopping today and the bikers but she knew it would be a fruitless task. Kendal knew damn good and well that the guys would want tabs on what she was doing but they would respect her 'Out of Charming' request. Building in Lodi was a way to keep both beasts at bay. The old guys were happy and SAMCRO was once removed. Oh what a web she had weaved.

Kendal felt that every time she got her bearings in Charming someone spun her around until she had to start over. Since she got the news about her pregnancy she had to re-adjust her plans…again.

She gave a woeful sigh but then grabbed her phone to text Tara and confirm where they were meeting; after a quick reply text she was off to the Teller Morrow shop.

When she got there Tara was talking to Gemma, "it will be just one more minute, just going over some things with Gem."

"That's fine, I have to go and see a man about a horse…" Kendall smiled and changed direction toward the club house.

Tara smiled. "I'll be ready when you get out, did you want to tell Gemma?"

"Tell me what?" Gemma said looking over from baby Thomas.

"I have to powder my nose first…" Kendal walked a bit faster to the back.

"She just has some good news," Tara said, "Thanks for watching him." She turned back to Gemma and continued their conversation.

When Kendall got out of the bathroom there was a bit of a situation in the main room. A very beautiful but slutty girl Kendal knew as Ima (the girl Jax had cheated with) was pointing a gun at Lyla, Gemma, Tara, baby Thomas and Piney.

Opie came in and the picture was complete on why Lyla was crying "Why?" everyone looked awkward and Piney who looked pissed.

It was Kendal who broke the tense silence. "You have got to be fucking kidding me?!" she yelled "You want to put that down."

"Fuck you." Ima said and swerved to point it at her and then the others again.

With one decisive move Kendall grabbed Ima's wrist and twisted it, and you could hear the pops and clicks from her cartilage cracking; the gun was now pointed at Ima's chin and Kendal was hooked behind her. "There goes your handjob career. Let go of the gun or pull the fucking trigger, I don't really care which." Ima just whimpered. "Piney?" he stepped forward and grabbed the gun from her. "If I were you I would get the fuck out of her and never look back." and Ima ran out the door holding her wrist and crying.

"Kendal calm down…" Tara said, Lyla walked out of the room crying and Tara followed her "I'll be right back. Kendal sit down and breathe."

Everyone looked at Kendal strangely except Piney who punched Opie and lectured him about being a better man before storming out. To which Kendall scoffed, when Gemma looked at Opie with understanding eyes Kendal lost it.

"You slept with IMA?! As in IMA FUCKING WHORE!" Gemma looked at her harshly "Fuck!" Kendal screamed again. Grabbing her stomach instinctively "I have been climbing up the wall horny as all hell…because I am pregnant with your kid and being a good fucking person by not fucking with your and Lyla's precious fucking love and you fuck some cunt! Who pulls a gun on my friends and then me?! 13 Weeks pregnant with a gun pointed at me!" Gemma looked a bit more understanding and Opie looked like someone had taken a tire iron to his heart. "What the fuck Ope?!" she then took Tara's advice and sat down and took several deep breaths.

"You're pregnant?" Opie said looking confused and fragile.

"It's his?" Gemma asked.

"His or Jesus's." Kendall said "I was going to find a more appropriate way to tell you both…Fuck this. Tell Tara I will call her later." Kendal stood up and walked out. Piney was outside trying to look busy. "Did you hear?"

Piney nodded "I am very happy to be a grandpa, again…I will be there for you whether my son is or not."

Kendal hugged him and cried into his shoulder "I wanted to tell everyone in a much different way…I don't even know why I said all of that."

"Because he needed someone to say it to him…" Piney picked up her face "go home darlin' he has a lot of cleaning up to do…He will do right by you."

"I don't even want all that…" Kendal sniffed "I just wanted to tell him without having to fight a porn star and have half the club hear it."

Piney smiled at her, "Its alright honey you go home and get some rest..." and with that she left, feeling Opie's eyes on her back as she did.

Clay looked confused and Jax looked concerned as they drove up. Jax got off his bike and went to Kendal "Everything alright Kay?"

Kendall sniffed up all the tears she could then wiped her face "Fine. Everyone knows. I still want to tell Tig. Do you know where he is?"

"I don't know…" said Clay "What does everyone know?"

Kendal just gave a weird hallow laugh "I am pregnant." and Clay mouthed ooh. "If you see Tig please let him know I am looking for him and need to see him right away." she walked to her car and drove away.

Clay turned to Jax "who's the daddy?"

"I am." Opie said from the door. "I didn't know."

Piney looked at his son with critical eyes "Sorry, Pop."

"You fix it boy. And don't let your dick get people hurt." Piney said.

"Ima pulled a gun on Gemma and Tara…Lyla…" Opie said "and Kendal."

"Fuck." Jax said looking wild "are they okay? Where are they?"

"Inside." Opie said "Kendal…she got the gun from Ima."

Clay and Jax pushed passed him and went inside. Opie slumped on the picnic table outside.

When Kendal got home she cried more. She wasn't quite sure why, lately she just cried all the time. After she got a hold of herself she picked up her phone and called Tig. "Hey, gorgeous…"

"Hey Tiggy." she smiled "What you doing?"

"About to go back to the clubhouse, you need me?" Tig asked and she could hear his bike rumbling.

"Could you stop by my house for just a minute." she asked politely.

"You're at home, not the office?" Tig confirmed.

"Yep, Tara and I were…" she started to explained but decided it would be better to wait "I will tell you when you get here."

"On my way, Sis." Tig said. Twenty minutes later he was walking in the door to the smell of cookies. "You made cookies?" he called from the door.

She came from around the corner with a huge chunk of cookie dough in her hand and chewing on another. "Not all of it made it to the oven…" she said before she swallowed. "Come, sit, I just took out a batch…" and she disappeared back in the kitchen "Do you want milk, tea, or beer?"

"Last one…" Tig said as he sat down.

Kendal placed a plate of warm cookies and a cold beer in front of him. "Tig…" she started and then stopped.

"Kay, just tell me…" Tig said "are you leaving? Do you need me to…take care of something?" he said putting his hand over hers in a reassuring way.

"I'm pregnant." he instinctively took his hand off of hers and stood up like she burned him.

She waited for him to acclimatize to the situation, and he did so rather quickly. "That is great?"

"Yes it is." she smiled and pushed across the table to give him a hug. "It is more complicated…but lets focus on the positive. I'm having a baby! And the due date is St. Patrick's Day!"

"That is amazing, sis!" Tig said beaming "I get to be an uncle!" he shouted. "Here I thought you were just getting fat." she laughed at him.

Their conversation was cheerful but eventually he asked what she knew he would, "So who is the lucky daddy, I didn't know you were seeing anyone…"

"Probably because I am not…Ope is that dad." She said.

"Oh." he said quietly "Does he know?"

Kendal looked pained and gave a shamed grimace "Yeah," she nodded her head "I kind of exploded at him today" Tig looked confused "I walked in on Ima holding a gun on the girls…after fucking Ope…after Lyla caught him."

"That whore did what?!" Tig jumped up again.

"I took care of it…" Kendall said "but I guess my hormones where high and my adrenaline was pumping and I kind of yelled at Ope…I need to talk to him later" she said looking down "I just don't want to now…"

"Fuck that, his whore turns a gun on you and my niece or nephew…" Tig seemed to emanate anger. "I will put her in the fucking ground."

"I don't think that is necessary…" Kendall said in a calming tone. "She peed herself when I…I just don't think she'll be a bother anymore."

"Kay, you cannot do this shit anymore…" Tig said taking a path Kendal was not ready for. "You have a baby counting on you. Let me do the scaring and beating the shit out of people."

She laughed and nodded "Why Tig…you protector you…" she gave him a hug.

They talked for about 10 more minutes about the baby and her plans before he got a text that called him away. She gave him a big bag of cookies and sent him on his way. She felt better now that Tig knew.

Now that everyone would know. She picked up her phone and texted Opie 'Sorry I yelled at you. I am rather emotional lately. I should have told you alone…call me or come by if you want to talk. -K'

* * *

Kendall expected to see and/or hear from Opie sooner rather than later, she even thought he would maybe come by late at night like he did so many months ago. Out of all the outcomes, what she did not foresee was Opie to come by with his children early Saturday Morning.

"Good Morning?" she said as she answered the door. "Ellie! Kenny! It is so good to see you…you both look like you grew a foot since I saw you!"

Both children beamed at her and gave her big hugs. "Daddy said you might watch us while Lyla and he are away!" Kenny gushed.

"I haven't asked her yet…" Opie said trying very hard to be kind to his children but clearly frustrated.

Kendal's smile never faltered "Of course its okay! They know they are always welcome here! Why don't you kids go downstairs and watch cartoons on the big screen TV…" Kendal said "Your dad and I will do the boring grown up talk. Then I will bring you breakfast and we can maybe watch a movie, or go to the park."

"Can we watch an adventure movie?" Kenny asked clearly taking a stance in the matter.

"Maybe…how about Kun Fu and you could show me your new moves?" Kendall asked. Kenny nodded and absolutely glowed on his way out of the room. "Okay Opie…you know I love your kids and will do anything for them and they are welcome here any time you or they want, but what the hell is going on?"

"I know that they will be safe here…with you," he started "I was going to take them to Mary's but she is out of town…"

"Of course they will be safe here!" she looked at his face "would they not be safe at your house?"

"Thank you. I just have some club business...Can we talk later?" He sounded very apologetic.

"I guess..." she was trying to sound mad but when she looked at him and he seemed more tense and morose than usual and her resolve crumbled "Ope, be careful. Everything will be okay...promise...and I will try really hard not to yell at you..." Kendall was about to go into full on rant but he stopped her by kissing her forehead.

"We will talk later, I got to go." and with that he was gone.

"Crap sticks!" She said closing the door and making her way to the kitchen to make breakfast for the 2 kids.


	14. A new normal

**A new normal**

Kendall had a very fun day with the kids as unexpected as it was. She also had a fun Sunday with them. On Monday she dropped them off at school in the morning. On her way to work she tried to call Opie and Piney about the kids, but went straight to a generic voice mail. She also called Lyla and got no answer what so ever.

The kids got out of school before she left work and she had a feeling it may be a day or two more so she decided she would run by Opie's house to get more of the kids things before she picked them up.

She tried several times throughout the day to contact anyone in the Winston family to no avail. At 2 o'clock she left her office and headed to Opie's; she checked the cameras up and down the street (on her phone), then went around the block twice noting everything before she stopped. Because of Opie's unease on Saturday and the unavailability of anyone today, Kendal retrieved her revolver from the gun safe in the trunk and approached the door casually but with very sharp attention.

It was ajar, Kendal senses elevated even further as she quietly crept through the house checking every room. No one was there; however, someone had been there and had ransacked the place. She grabbed a few large trash bags from the kitchen and started packing as much of the kids things as she could. What she couldn't grab she would just have to replace she mentally noted, as she chose what to leave behind. She cursed silently and thought '_I will be damned if, those sweet kids come back here with it like this_.' She threw the bags into the trunk of her car and went in one more time, if she was going to have the kids at her house and they were not going to be back here for a while she wanted them to have the really important things. Kendal grabbed all the family photos she could, making sure to get some of their mom and dad.

Her phone sounded the alarm to tell her she needed to be at school to pick up Kenny in 10 minutes. She made a rudimentary trap with a hair tie to let her know if anyone came back, and she left to pick Kenny up.

On her drive she made several calls leaving a message on each Opie's, Piney's, Mary's, and Lyla's voice mail all saying something a little different but all making the points 1) she was fine with keeping the kids for a while 2) Opie's house was trashed 3) feel free to call her and explain what the hell was going on 4) stay safe.

Just for good measure she tried Jax, Tig, and Kozik; they didn't answer either. Her last call before Kenny jumped in the car was to an interior designer…he could set up the bedrooms while she worked from home and did some research on what the hell was going on.

Kenny jumped in the car beaming from his day and chatted with Kendall all the way to Ellie's school. He paused when they got there for a second "Kay, can I play games on your phone?"

"Not right now, sweetie I am downloading a new app and then it has to restart maybe after?" she absolutely hated to say no to either of them.

"okay!" he beamed brightly, not at all effected.

Kendall made a mental note of more things she needed to get for them, the top of the list was phones with gps trackers. Ellie got in the car and was all aglow about gym and how she made a great volley ball shot.

"That's so great El." Kendall said, "I have some bad news for you guys…" their happy faces looked at her with a look of absolute terror "not that bad!" Kendal smiled uncomfortably, occasionally she forgot how much real bad news these kids had gotten, their face lightened ever so slightly but they still had their dad's intense look on their faces. "We are going to have to go to my office for a little while…"

"Don't scare us like that." Ellie said in a very serious tone.

"Yeah, sorry…" Kendal recovered quickly. "you can have some food from the bar or I can order some Pizza?"

"Pizza!" Kenny shouted.

"Pizza it is." Kendall smiled and started to drive to Beverly's. "So tell me more about this great shot in volley ball."

The drive was filled with banter about Ellie's game and Kenny's upcoming test. Once they got to the office Kendal set them up in the small conference room she had they hooked a lab top up to the big screen and where watching Netflix as Kendall was completing everything she could get done.

She received a text from an unknown number before she went to join the kids for Pizza.

'_Not home for a while_.'

When she tried to reply it came back as undelivered, and when she called it was disconnected. She took a deep breath to control her emotions as her imagination went wild on what was going on. When she was calm she went to join the kids.

"So what time is your bedtime on a school night?"

"midnight." Kenny tried to lie but was immediately given away by his giggling.

"I am going to go with 7:30 for you Kenny…" Kendall said back.

"But it is really 8:30!" he objected.

"We'll see…" she turned to Ellie "And you?"

Ellie smiled "a little after his…usually no later than 10."

"Well you guys are going to stay with me a little longer, so we will get a routine going," she said trying to make it sound natural and nonchalant.

"And daddy?" Ellie asked with a tremble in her voice.

"He is fine!" Kendal was obviously overcompensating her reassurance "He is…he will be back soon, I will let you know more as soon as I do." Kendal smiled at her "So what is your schedule like kiddos? You just started back last week right?"

The kids told her their very sparse schedule...after all the time they had spent together the kids were still shy to ask her for things they needed and wanted. Kendal's heart just about broke when Ellie said "It's okay Kay, we don't need anything, we don't want to be a burden."

Kendal turned to them and grabbed each of their hands "There will be none of that. As long as you are with me and as long as I am around we will make it work. Ellie you are going to try out for Volleyball, Kenny you are going to do flag football, and I have just now decided we are all taking some sort of Karate class together!" she declared and the both of the kids eyes lit up "We will go to the mall this weekend and get whatever you guys need, and because I am a bit of a sucker, probably a few things you want too." she looked at each one meaningfully "You are not a burden. You are a blessing, and I am happy to have you with me."

Ellie had tears in her eyes as she hugged Kendal and Kenny was very excited about this whole getting what he wanted business. They roughly sketched out a plan for this week...which included a open house at both schools. Kendal said she needed about 30 more minutes and then she would be ready to go. She went to her office closed her door and had a mild freak out.

She reminded herself to calm down and heard Tara's voice chidding her..._TARA_!

Kendal could not believe she had not thought to call Tara. "Tara, are you okay?" she said as soon as the line was picked up.

"Kendal?"

"Yes…sorry this is my work line. Are you okay?" she pressed.

"Yes. The note just spooked me and the club." Tara said off handedly.

"So Opie, Piney, Tig & Jax are okay? Not dead in a ditch somewhere?" Kendall's voice broke.

"Yes…as far as I know, Jax called me an hour or so ago." Tara said "If you tried his phone he had a new one this weekend."

Kendall sighed. "I really need to show Juice how to corrupt the output file." she said under her breath "Did Ope & them change their phones too?"

"I am not sure, do you need to talk to them?"

"It would be nice." she cleared her throat.

"Are you okay?" Tara asked.

"Do you know what the fuck is going on?!" she said raising her voice slightly.

"Something with the club they had to go to Arizona and they are going to have to stay until something is settled there." Tara said reassuringly.

Kendall calmed herself slightly and then said "What about Opie's house?"

"Opie's house?"

"Yeah some one went in a ransacked the place... I went in and stole all the kids stuff. They are NOT going back there... not when it is like that... not when they could get hurt!" her voice sounded very upset, apparently the calm she managed to obtain was ebbing away.

"I'll tell Jax" Tara said. "Be careful right now, don't go to Ope's or the shop."

"Okay..." Kendal sighed again "If you do talk to Jax could you tell him to give Tig & Ope a message for me?"

"Sure..."

"If they die, I will resurrect them, cut their dicks off and kill them again." she said deadpan serious.

"Don't die...or else." you could hear the smile in her voice "I will tell him. Stay safe, maybe I will see you later this week, we still need to do some baby shopping." They made quick conversation about the mall this weekend and then said goodbye.

After Kendal's conversation with Tara she did feel better, but the warning made her wary and she decided she would be much more cautious.

* * *

The next few weeks Kendal took multi-tasking to the next level.

First she used her scrambler and real hacker Eli to alter phone records clearing her number from any concerning SAMCRO, including Ally Lowen and Oswalt Lumber & Construction. She also had them alter the children's emergency contact and guardian information at school to one of her aliases and to a phone service that would forward calls to her without transferring her information to the caller.

Even though Beverly's was not directly connected to SAMCRO on paper Kendal still altered some paperwork to make herself a secondary investor through one of her subsidiary companies, and arranged for the name on her office to be changed.

The only thing left that connecting her to SAMCRO was Tig and the children she was taking care of. Since the only thing on paper that connected her to Tig was her father's will, and since he lived his life off the grid she felt safe on that avenue. She did not want to alter the children's records more than she already had...but it was tempting.

Now Kendal just had to rely on people keeping their mouth shut and that made her nervous because that is something she had never worried about before.

Where work was concerned, she had also front loaded everything and had multiple jobs lined up for her each of her clients for at least a month she was using with several private investigators to tail the marks. She also got a second cell phone line and a iPad for business because she was spending more and more time out of her office.

Two interior designers had come the first week to finish the upstairs for the kids, and to set up one of the downstairs guest rooms as her nursery. Ellie had been very happy to help with that.

Kendal had developed a routine with the children as well; she was very surprised how easily the temporary single mom shoe fit her.

Every morning she got up, made them breakfast and then would drop them off at school. She would go to the office and work, then pick them up from school, if there was no after school activities they would either go back to her office for homework (work for Kendal), the other days they would go home and have dinner together. Ellie had Volleyball Practice twice a week, Kenny had football practice once a week and they all had Karate on Friday nights.

On Weekends Kendal tried to keep just as busy, Kenny's games were normally on Saturday and he also had someone giving him drumming lessons the same time Ellie had guitar lessons. They also went to the park, shopped for groceries, and did things around the house.

Kendal was terrified that if they were not busy they would ask her questions she did not know how to answer, like '_who is the father of your baby_?' or '_where is my dad/grandpa/Lyla/Coby_?' or '_why can't we go home_?' and to her astonishment, relief, and to their credit they did not ask any of that. They soaked up all the attention and their confidence and self-esteem was growing (not that Kenny needed more.)

At night when the house was quiet and she finally would lay down for bed her heart would tear in one of two ways, all nights she was tired, but some she was completely content and happy having them in her home and getting to spend each day with them. Others she was completely overwhelmed and scared, and she would cry herself to sleep with worry over just about everything.

It had almost been a month when Opie called.

"Kay?"

"Opie?" she wanted to sound mad but she knew she sounded relieved.

"Sorry about…" he started.

"Shut up." she still sounded happy "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. How are Ellie & Kenny?" he asked seriously.

"They're good. Really good. Do you want to talk to them?"

"No, are you guys at your place?"

"We are at the office in Lodi, we will be leaving in 20 minutes or so…" she said "Why don't you want to talk to them, Opie? They haven't said anything but I know they miss you and worry about you."

"I will be there tonight." he said ignoring her question.

"You will?" she sounded like she was going to cry

"Yeah, I gotta go..." and he hung up just like that.

"Kids, get ready its time to go!" she said over the intercom and hurried home. Kendal wasn't sure if she wanted to kiss him or kill him but she knew she wanted to see him and there would be some yelling...oh yes she had some things to say to him.

Ope did not say when he was going to be there, so they went about their normal nightly routine when they got home. They packed tomorrows lunches for one another, while Kenny got ready for bed while Kendal checked Ellie's homework and they talked about her reading, when Ellie got ready for bed Kendal checked Kenny's homework, she read them a chapter of 'Harry Potter' (they were now on book 2), then Kenny got tucked into bed, finally Ellie & Kendall watched an episode of Dr. Who before Ellie went to bed.

At 9:30 everyone was asleep except for Kendal who was waiting, trying to stay busy, and fighting to stay awake. She fell asleep with her iPad in her hand on the couch around 11.


	15. Daddy comes Home

**Daddy comes Home**

The security alarm went off and woke up everyone.

Kendal was truly scared for the first time in ages, the kids were at the top of the stairs looking at her with their ears covered. "Go back to your rooms and lock them!" She yelled firmly and without question they did so.

She silenced the sound but did not disarm the system. She moved quickly to the kitchen and grabbed a knife (she had moved all the guns to the office out back) and instantly accessed her system on the iPad and it let her know that Opie was on the back patio waiting outside the locked door and drawn curtains. He had knocked but the alarm covered the sound.

She checked all the other sensors and cameras before letting him in. She held up her finger to tell him to be quiet as she called the security company and gave them the password and pin number. Then she called upstairs "It's okay!"

"Sorry." he said with his head hung "I told you I was coming…"

"DADDY!" Ellie yelled and ran down the stairs.

"Angel!" He grabbed her and spun her in a hug.

"Daddy I am so glad you are home!" Ellie's voice made Kendall's eyes well with tears.

Kenny was by Kendall and was a little stand offish. Opie just reached out his hands and pulled him into the family hug. "It is good to be home." and he sounded so sincere that Kendall had to turn away to wipe away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks. "How have you guys been?"

For the next hour Opie sat with his kids smiling, laughing, and hugging them until they fell asleep. Then he carried both of them to their rooms. When he came back down Kendall was re checking all the alarms and setting it again.

She turned to Opie and said "I don't care what you say, you are not taking them to that house until…" Opie was on his knees hugging her middle letting his head gently rest on her large baby bump before she could finish her thought. She instinctively held him to her. "Ope?"

He looked up at her with smoldering eyes and she got so wet she thought she peed a little. He stood up and took her hand. "Thank you."

In the back of her mind the last sensible part of her was screaming, about pregnancy hormones and how he was a liar, and irresponsible and the situation he had put her in, as the rest of her said "uh huh."

"You are beautiful."

"Uh huh," was all that came out of her slack jaw and then he kissed her. Kendal tried for only a second to not give in, then she fell into his arms and that kiss. It lasted for what seemed like hours she was on her tip toes and he held her to him and they drank each other in slowly.

Opie bent down and put his arm behind her knees and lifted her into his arms. She made the slightest noise of protest and Opie grumbled "Bedroom." before continuing to kiss her harder. He gently laid her on the bed and held himself above her "Is this okay?" he asked tenderly.

All of her good sense failed her again and was replaced by overwhelming need. Kendal growled back at him wrapping her legs around him and using her strength to roll on top of him. She moved her panties to the side and had his belt and fly undone before he even could reach up to her breast.

She guided him into her letting her body adjust to him being deep inside, before she ripped open her own button up top and pulled down the straps of her bra freeing her swollen breast. She arched her back and began to grind on him and work herself up and down moaning and panting. "Fuck yes!" she moaned as he moved his fingers in teasing patterns on her breast and massaged them gently tickling her nipples with his thumb.

His eyes were clinched tight concentrating on lasting but she felt so good and she was making every noise he had fantasized about for months. When he tried to slow her pace or change positions she just clenched tighter and grinded harder. "I'm going to come…" he called out.

"NO!" she screamed at him and beat on his chest locking eyes with him "Don't stop!" she moved harder and he put what remaining restraint he had into pushing hard and fast into her she screamed "Yes!" and then she froze, her back arched and her toes curled and no sound came out of her mouth except for a squeak, and he took that as his okay to finish as well. She fell to his side panting and twitching.

"I missed you too…" he said catching his breath.

"You missed my pussy…" Kendall said "you cannot miss someone you do not know."

"I am not going to argue with you." he said. "I am going to pull you close and sleep with my head in your hair." he turned on his side and buried his face in her hair and kissed her earlobe.

"I…" she started to say something but when he put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him the words died in her mouth; she let out a sigh put her arm over his and fell asleep.

Her alarm went off entirely too early for her comfort, Kendall woke with the scratchiness of Opie's beard on her cheek. "Can you turn that damn thing off?"

"Can't. The kids need to get up. We need to leave the house in an hour. I need to go make breakfast and wake them up." Kendall said dragging herself out of bed.

He pulled her back in and said "I got it." he kissed her forehead and was out of bed.

She thought about protesting but when she sat back down she turned off the alarm and went back to sleep. Two hours later she woke with his hand resting on her stomach and she could feel his heat next to her. She gave a little sigh and smiled. "Do you need to be anywhere?" he asked.

"Technically…" she turned on her side to face him "But I expect we have some things to discuss first." she gave a little yawn. "I have made peace with you leaving Ellie & Kenny here." she looked at him sweetly "I want them to stay until whatever it is you are doing blows over. Lyla, club business, Ima…whatever…" she waved her hand in the air.

"I only have one day, before I have to go back…" Opie interrupted her and kissed her lips quickly. "When I make it back we will talk about everything." he pulled her close. "I just want to be here with you right now."

"I have to pee." she frowned and got out of bed. A moment later she was back and next to him. "Okay. I get it. Life and death stuff and you want to be with your kids." she said as she was getting back in bed "we could get them out of school early and…"

"Do you ever listen?!" Opie shouted taking Kendall by surprise. "I said I wanted to be here with _you_." it was apparently Opie's turn to blow off some steam, he got up and sat on the side of the bed not facing her. "I don't want to talk about Lyla or Ima. I don't want to talk about what I do when I am not at home and I don't want to talk about the club…" he said through grinding teeth.

"Why?!" Kendall shouted back. "I am clearly a fucking idiot and will be here…waiting like a dumb ass!" she scoffed at her own self-loathing but continued because even with all of her good instincts last night when she took him to bed she knew the next statement was true "doesn't matter what you say or what you do…I apparently will be here waiting for you with open arms and spread legs. Just like Ima."

"You are nothing like that whore." Opie shouted. "You are…"

"What?! What the fuck am I Opie?!" she screamed.

"You don't want to kill our baby! You do not eat pussy for a living! You are nothing like them!"

That was a turn she was not expecting. Kendall looked confused but was getting things out of the solemn silent person that was Harry Winston Jr. so she prodded further. "What the hell is that suppose to mean?! Just because you knocked me up doesn't mean you need to feel…" she grasped at words "like you have to do shit for me."

She looked at him furiously "I don't need a pity fuck!"

"Is that what you think?!" he was still shouting "Did that feel like a pity fuck?! Because it wasn't." he said standing up and pacing "I have wanted to do that every god damn day. Do you think I would leave my kids with you if you were a pity fuck?!"

"I don't know what the fuck I think! When you look at me like that I just want to fuck you!" she dodged his hand reaching for her "No! I want to yell at you! Please stop looking at me so I can yell at you!" Opie closed his eyes and sat on the bed waiting for the worst but smirking a little. "Stop doing what I say! That is sexy too! GOD! Okay we are going to fuck again…then I am going to chew your ass out!" Kendal yelled.

"I am not really into that kind of thing…" Opie joked

"SHUT UP!" she begged.

He was instantly by her side gathering her into his arms and kissing her hard as if continuing the fight with out words. She did not give in to his dominance, she pressed into him and kissed him hard as well. This time the sex was slow and a power struggle for them. He would have her on her back kissing her and she would roll on top and he would continue rolling until she was on her back again.

"Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?!" he asked as he pinned her arms down and kissed down her neck and then lower until she was frozen with need for him not to stop kissing and teasing her nipples, even her breath caught in her throat. Before he buried his head between her legs he said most sincerely "I am yours."

She was dizzy with pleasure when he kissed his way back up to her ear and whispered "will you be mine?" Kendall just moaned and nodded…and curled up to him falling asleep again.

Kendall's phone alarm went off at 11 to let her know she had a conference call with John the Gun about the competition in November. She turned in off and went to get up but Opie held her tightly in place and grunted in his sleep. So she just adjusted herself in her arms and when the phone rang she answered.

"John! It is so good to hear from you!" she radiated sincerity and happiness in her voice.

"Kay baby! how are you?" A very hoarse voice asked.

"Doing great!" She smiled and looked at Opie and his hand on her stomach "Really great actually…" Opie opened his eyes and grinned at her. "How are you doing?"

"Good…this year is a little rougher, the ATF are all over the place these days…" the rough voice lamented.

"I hear that, last year some of my friends had an issue with them as well. But the competition is still on right?" she sounded very worried. Opie who had been staring at her and kissing her shoulder looked at her with a concerned face and she gave him a gesture that said, everything is fine, so he continued his kissing to her neck and ear.

"Of course it is…That's why I am calling, we have talked and we think this is not the year for you to join…" John sounded very regretful but this speech had a familiar ring to it.

"Don't worry John, I was going to tell you that I couldn't compete this year even if you let me, by then I will be 5 months pregnant, I can still judge, but my balance is all over the place these days."

"Congratulations!" John said.

"Thank you," she said as Opie kissed her stomach and smiled at her again.

But something ruined it all for her, she was listen to John recite what she had said to the other people in the room and she heard a very familiar voice in the background shout "She is what?!"

"John, is that Bobby?!" she said very sternly.

"Yeah, his old man is making him help me this year…" John said not understanding the harshness in her voice.

"How can he help you he can't shoot for shit?! Jesus!" She sat up and Opie was looking a bit more concerned "John. I am not sure if I am going to judge this year, I will talk to you soon." and she hung up and through the phone across the room. "Fuck!" she yelled as she sniffed tears from her eyes.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Opie asked gathering her up and sitting her in his lap.

She lay against his chest and said "I want to do everything! And I don't think I am going to be able to…" she said as he stroked her hair.

"What can't you do?" he asked pulling back and looking her in the face.

"I cannot go there…" she sniffled again "I know I seem strong, and fearless or whatever, but I can't be in front of Bobby like this." She clearly gestured to her starting to balloon belly.

However, Opie took this opportunity to diverge the conversation "I don't want anyone seeing you like this but me," he said tickling her naked hips and kissing her naked shoulder "you are all mine." He said before kissing her slow and sweet.

"I could live with this." She said when he moved on to her neck. "but you know exactly what I am talking about…" she sighed as she wrapped her arms around him making him kiss her lips again. This was the starting gun for their next marathon; Kendall mentally noted that making love is what she was doing, not fucking, and it both frightened and excited her.

An hour later they were still lying in bed entangled with each other "I never want to leave this bed…" Opie said kissing the top of her head and sighing deeply.

Kendal kissed his chest "When do you have to go?"

"I have to be at the club at in the morning," Ope said.

"Well we have a lot to do then…" she said as she hopped up "…you coming?"

"Not for about 10 minutes I guess I am about ready…" he said reaching for her but she dodged and headed to the bathroom.

Never in his life did Opie expect to be in a bubble bath again…but there he was in Kendal's giant garden tub submerged in fruity & flowery bubbles, bath salts tingling on his skin and Kendal resting on his chest.

"You know we have to talk…" Kendal sighed.

"I know."

"I don't want to talk about who we are to each other right now…that can wait. I need you to tell me what the hell is going on." Kendal said and looked over her shoulder at him.

He kissed the tip of her nose. "I don't know how much I can tell you."

"I would prefer everything, but I know the value of tight lipped business, so how about we do 20 questions and if I need more info you will give it to me?" she propositioned.

"Shoot." He said.

"When you were gone was your life in danger?" question one.

"Yes."

"Did you leave Ellie & Kenny with me because their lives were in danger?"

"It was a possibility."

"When you leave tomorrow is your life going to be in danger again?" she looked at him now

"Yes."

"The kids?" she looked alarmed

"Not as long as they are with you." He said and he kissed her.

The next question she paused for a second before asking because it was selfish and of no importance to the serious of the situation "Did you see Ima while you were gone?"

"No."

"Did you see Lyla?"

"Yes."

She looked away and ignored his comforting kisses on her neck "Is everything going to be okay with you and the club…the danger part?"

"Eventually."

"Can I help?"

"No. I don't want you anywhere near this."

"okay." Kendal finished. She stood up suddenly and got out, then went to get ready.

Opie closed his eyes and let his head hang back for a minute, trying to figure out how to make everything okay…and coming up short on answers…he succumbed and said he would have to tell her the truth.

He got out and got ready as well "Where are we going?" Opie asked getting into Kendal's car.

"Well first, is your place…did you go there before you came over?" She asked and he shook his head. "well you need to go if only to get new clothes…because those smell…BAD" he looked hurt then sniffed himself and shrugged. "Then we have to go to the store and get some things, it is my turn to bring snacks to the kids on Kenny's football team, practice is today."

"He is on a football team?" Opie asked looking shocked.

"Touch football, the Steelers, we are looking pretty good for the championship so far…Kenny is the best runner on the team, but you cannot tell them that. It's all holding hands and go team go…" she lamented "which is good…I guess, but all the kids know he is the best. And Ellie's volley ball game is at 7…"

"You…" he seemed like he was going to cry but he cleared his throat "you are amazing."

"What?!" she smiled at him "They are your kids…they are the amazing ones." He grabbed her hand and kissed it as they arrived at his house. She did not react to his touch as she normally did, she just went to the trunk and got into the gun safe handed him a glock and took one for herself. "You can never be too careful, but don't worry I don't have any in the house."

"You should…at least in your bedroom," Opie looked at her intensely.

"Well okay then…" she said as they went to the door, she didn't know if it was Jax or someone else that broke the hair tie but at least the door was closed this time.

As they walked in they looked around and Opie confirmed it had to be Lyla that came in and got all of her and Coby's things. He seemed mad that all the pictures of Donna were gone. "umm…" Kendal began "this is awkward, that was me, I took them so the kids could have pictures in their rooms, just cause they are not at home doesn't mean that…you know they have to be away from home?" she finished unsure of her words.

He kissed her forehead "how many times have I said thank you?"

"I'll tell you when to stop…" she smiled.

They went to his room and he grabbed some fresh clothes and started to change. This time Kendal was the one to growl with want…"Do you have to go?" she whimpered.

He arched his eyebrows in confusion "really?" he said looking down at himself shaking his head.

"Hey, you're not the only one who missed sex with me in the last few months…today was just a small scratch for a very big itch," she smiled and gave him a quick kiss before going back to the car. He was there in a few moments later in new clothes and if she was not mistaken some old spice. "much better." she said as he kissed her.

"We really need to get all of this out now…" she started "we will be with the kids soon…" and he kissed her long and hard again. "Okay…that should do me until after bed time." She confirmed.

Just to make sure she did not have the last word he kissed her again softly. "me too." He said clearing his throat.

They went to the grocery store and got a few things for his trip, which he revealed would be for another '_few days_' to which Kendal rolled her eyes.

He picked up some condoms and put them in the basket "I think it is a little late for that…" Kendal gave him a very strange look "Unless of course those are for your little trip…?" and her look was more aggressive.

"No…I…" Opie started to explain but her hands were on her hips already, he got out his phone and showed her a text from Chibs saying '_get me some rubbers._'

"Uh huh…" she sucked on her teeth and then gave him a stern look "You are mine?" she said angrily.

"Yes." He said gently trying to pull her to him.

"No…we still have to get the snacks…" she pushed him away "Opie, I am going to share a little secret with you." She said pushing the basket forward "I have a bit of a jealous streak…"

"Really?" he sounded faintly confused. "I don't remember anything like that…have you seen Lucy lately?"

"That was nothing…" Kendal shrugged off as she prepared to bend over and get the Gatorade 12-pack. Opie easily moved her and got it for her, "Grab an orange one too...and some Capri Suns." He did as directed. "If you are serious about this" she gestured from her to him "then you should know, I will take a bitch out…I am surprised that Ima still has both legs at this point…" she was not ready to touch the Lyla situation just yet.

Opie laughed grabbing a few more "For Ellie's team…and I don't want you bending over later, bring a prospect with you or one of the sweet butts…" he said as he reached for some chips ahoy she had her head cocked to one side and was giving him a strange look "For the kids."

"I am not having anyone take care of me…" she said grabbing Goldfish. "Ope, I am serious about this…us, you know that right?" she couldn't believe she just blurted that out…it was too much to give away.

"I am serious about this too…" he said holding her and giving her a kiss.

"I don't want to tell the kids." Kendal said trying to back pedal.

"I think that is good, they may still be confused over Lyla," Opie agreed.

She paused for a minute and closed her eyes as she asked "So…what is going on with that?" She looked at him earnestly for a second before grabbing some grapes and pre sliced apples. "Will you grab some honey crisps we like to put them in our lunches..."

"These?" He pointed and she nodded "Lyla had an abortion last year before I went in…" he cleared his throat angrily "and when I told her about the cartel she grabbed Coby and bailed…"

"well that is a lot to take in…" she cleared her throat.

"Is that too much for you?" Opie said very worried.

"No…Which cartel?" she asked plainly.

"We are with Galindo" he said "Via Lobo is not crazy about that…"

"Ope," her voice was strained "next time you guys are in a world of shit, just fucking tell me…" she sighed "I have been cautious but not cautious enough if this has to do with the fucking cartels…" she cleared her voice "they are a special kind of threat."

"Romeo, has taken care of it." Opie tried to ease her fears.

"We need ice for the cooler," she said as she pushed the basket to the checker station. "thousands of dead people from Tijuana to LA is not taken care of…"

"The club has an ice machine we can stop by and get some there." Opie said.

"Hey Ope," the checker said "haven't seen you around for a while…" and winked at him.

"Hey," he said as he helped Kendal unload the groceries on the counter.

"I heard you and Lyla are not together anymore," the checker said ignoring the groceries and trying to be sexy in her red cashier vest "If you need to talk, or anything…" she paused for a second as she saw Kendal "you know where to find me."

"I don't think so…" Ope said trying hard not to laugh at Kendal who was all but fuming at the moment.

"Aw, why not, Sugar…" she put her hand on his as he was putting things on the counter "I am a good listener." she smiled at him.

"Yeah, I am standing right here, bitch." Kendal said with potent venomous tone "Why don't you do your fucking job and stop rubbing your skank on him." Opie finally let out a chuckle "Oh yeah I bet you think you are really cute don't you?!"

"You do…" Opie said and kissed her.

"That's besides the point!" she smirked at him she then looked at the cashier who flushed and tryed to check them out as quickly as possible "Hey, sorry honey, but this area," she grabbed Opie's cock "and this area here" she kissed him naughtily "are spoken for." Opie cleared his throat and readjusted as she let go of him "and I…" she turned to the side so her baby bump was apparent "am in a crazy hormonal stage. So, maybe it would be best if you finished up and then spread this around."

"So much for keeping this to ourselves.." Ope said to Kendal with a big shit eating grin.

"Well…it's not like I can go to the club dressed in slut gear rub my pheromones on you….But I could pee on you…" Kendall stated pragmatically.

The checker snickered "sorry…" she said continuing checking them out.

"How about I tell people you are my old lady?" Ope said trying to figure out how much truth was in Kendal's marking territory conversation. "I mean most of them know you are pregnant with my baby and my kids are with you…they may have made that connection already. We are not all dumb bikers… I am not opposed to this rubbing all over me business..."

She went to hand the cashier money but Opie shewed her away and paid for the basket full of goodies. "What else do we need to do, babe?"

"Go to the club for ice, the cooler is already in the trunk…then we have about 10 minutes to pick up Kenny, then Ellie 20 minutes later. Kenny's practice is at 5 it should take about 45 minutes then Ellie's game at 7…somewhere in there we should eat..." She recited because her brain and been doing the same thing for the last hour. "Don't worry I have 10 minute warning alarms on my phone set up…"

"What would you do without that thing?" Opie laughed putting groceries in the car.

"Suffer slowly…" Kendal said. "You drive…I am weirdly nervous I haven't been to the club in weeks. Will Piney be there?" her voice was very boisterous at the thought of seeing Piney and the guys.

"No, I think he is out at the Cabin…" She gave him a puzzled look "the club has a cabin up north and sometimes one of us will go there to hide out or just be by ourselves for a while…it's on a reservation."

"Is that why I haven't been able to reach him? I though he was with you guys?" she said as they drove through the gates of Teller Morrow shop she noticed many more '_guards_' if you will and they closed the gate right after they entered "that's reassuring…"

"Don't worry babe we're safe." Ope said as he put the car in park and kissed her softly.

She would have waited for him to placate her more but she saw Tig and Kozik talking at the picnic table in front of the club house entrance and like a shot she was out of the car and headed towards them with anger fuming from her.

"Next time you go on a run that has to do with the mother fucking…" she paused biting her tongue on the words drug cartel and replacing it with " DANGER, you better tell me or I will blow you up my god damn self!" She yelled as she closed the distance between them rapidly, with Opie on her tail.

"Sis…" Tig started.

"Don't you sis me! I've been worried like hell! Thinking you were in a god damn ditch with no head or finger prints and I would have to identify you by your tattoo's do you know what that's like? To look at the mangled body of someone you love and have to identify their fucking body? Let me tell you it is fucking shitty!" Tig looked down in shame as she yelled at him.

"Babe, calm down…" Opie said from behind her.

She shot him a look of absolute fury "I haven't even started with you on this topic! One fucking month and one fucking text…?"

"I will go get the ice…" he said wincing .

"What the fuck? are you and Ope together again?" Kozik yelled

"I will deal with you in a minute!" Kendal yelled again and with a softer but still frustrated tone she said "Tig, I know you have things you need to do for the club and I know you are not used to having to tell anyone, anything and you do not need to tell me everything…but a hello I am not fucking dead is appreciated." And with that she gave him a hug.

"I'm sorry Kay…" he said into her ear as he hugged her back "I'll let you know I am alright next time…"

"Good, now be safe!" she sniffed and kissed him on the cheek.

"You ready to go babe?" Opie said as he came back out with a cooler full of ice.

She smiled at him warmly "I will just be a minute…" and she waddled to the bathroom.

Tig looked at Opie and began to say something, but decided against it and walked away looking confused as ever. Kozik on the other hand had plenty to say, he started yelling at him about how Kendal was not just any girl he could use and Opie yelled right back at him about how he had no reason to be in his relationship. By the time Kendall came back from the bathroom all she heard was Opie saying "Look, she is mine, and I love her, if you have a problem with that, we can deal with that later, you come to me…you do not go near her."

"Is this testosterone show over because we have to go…" she started to walk away and looked back at Kozik who was standing there with an open mouth and a blank look on his face "Koz, stay safe okay?"

"Whatever, Kay…" and he walked in the club house.

"Well that went well…" she said getting back into the car "let's go get Kenny."

They were back at the house around nine thirty Opie was absolutely beaming as he assisted in the very sped up version of their nightly routines. When the kids were in bed, lunches made, and homework gone over, Kendall finally sat down on the couch with her feet up and sighed. Opie sat on the edge of the couch and put her feet in his lap and began to message them.

"Oh god that feels good…" Kendal moaned and made a very pleased sigh. "Ohhh…" she felt his cock grow harder with every moan. "mmm mm no none of that until you finish the other foot…I didn't even know how much I missed you until this…"

"So you did miss me?" he asked playfully as he continued to rub the pressure out of her feet.

"Not nearly enough…oh you are doing this all the time from now on…" she said closing her eyes and letting her face go slack with pleasure and relaxation.

"Anything for you…" he smiled and continued to gently message her feet until she fell asleep right there on the couch.


	16. Letters & Cookies

**Letters & Cookies**

Kendal woke up around 3 in the morning, she was in her own bed, and Opie was next to her snoring softly with his hand on her tummy. She had been changed and/or stripped down to her panties and a tank top, and she was still feeling wonderful; she sighed in pleasure put her hand on his and closed her eyes.

She honestly gave sleep a try for about 20 minutes, but her mind was racing with too many things. Most of which started '_if the guys are leaving tomorrow then I need to…_'

There were just entirely too many things she needed to do…so she got up and began ticking things off of her list.

First she went in the kitchen and began baking cookies…she wasn't sure why but that is what her crazy hormones demand she do first.

Once those were started she pulled up some legal forms from the internet for Opie to sign in the morning. Nothing too serious just temporary custody papers in case anything happened to the kids while he was away…she had neglected to inform him about the adjustments she had already made to their records, and with these signed maybe she never would have to.

Then she padded to her office out back and grabbed 3 of her auxiliary business cell phones, each had some very useful programs on them, and were un-pingable on GPS (she also printed instructions out just in case).

Kendal also put tiny stick-on GPS locators on Opie's cut and inside his wallet. Normally, these were used on her marks but Kendal was starting to make a habit of sticking them on those she loved. She had them on Ellie's locket (behind the photo), Ellie's backpack, Kenny's backpack, and Kenny's Superman watch; tomorrow she would find a way to put one on Tig too.

She worried about crossing some lines but it was in her nature to overdo things and now she constantly worried about the people she loved, as they had multiplied significantly in the last few months.

After she switched out the cookies for another batch, she gave in and did for SAMCRO what she did for her clients; it was not as thorough or extensive but prepared a decent dossier on things from here to SAMCAZ. She compiled a list of routes and alternate routes, including codes to type into the program on the phone to let them know about cops in the area, motels that worked on cash-only-no-names policy, fake ID dealers, and a list of places of interest such as; cop bars, traffic lights and streets with cameras, local crime hangouts, etc. etc.

At 5am she was tired again and satisfied with the preparation she was able to do on such short notice, she climbed back into bed, Opie woke up for just a second and looked at her questionably "had to pee." she said as he pulled her close held her to him and fell back to sleep, as did she.

The next time she awoke it was almost 9 a.m. and her alarm had not went off. She jolted out of bed and was in a panic as she raced to put on pants, then out of her room. Much to her surprise the house was empty. When she went into the kitchen she found her phone on the charger, a pot of coffee waiting for her, the legal papers she had printed out for her signed, and a letter. She sat down with a cup and read waiting for Opie to get back from dropping off the kids.

_Kay,_

_I took the kids to school. Told them I would see them in a few days, to listen to you, and to not run you ragged. Ellie said she always watches out for you, Kenny said he knew he was the man of the house.__  
__  
__You are so good to them I will never know how to thank you for what you have done for them, and me.__  
__  
__You are amazing to me. _

_After Donna, I never thought anyone could make my kids smile like they used to, make me smile like you do.__  
__  
__You are still apprehensive, I can tell. I am not good with words…but I will prove to you that I am yours.__  
__  
__First, you need the truth, I know that.__  
__  
__Lyla and I have had problems for a while…even before I went in. I thought I loved her, because when I met her I wanted to save her. Give her shelter from her own life, but that is not love. _

_I tried to force her into being who I wanted her to be. I wanted her to quit her job and be more like Donna. When I found out she had an abortion and had taken morning after pills since I got out, I knew she would never be what I needed...or what I wanted... She did not want to be my life. She was not Donna nor would she ever be, or should she be._

_I was not fair to her, and it would be cruel to continue our relationship without really loving her back.__  
__  
__Ima was a mistake in so many ways, but doing that led me here, to you. As messed up as that is. She broke my already broken relationship and put you right in front of me again. It was the best mistake I've ever made.__  
__  
__The club is a part of me, they are closer than blood. Brothers by bond and oath. We're connected through things that I can't begin to describe. My business, is the club. I cannot tell you everything, what I can tell you I will. _

_We are in some deep shit now. Cartels, drugs, guns, shitloads of money...serious life and death shit.__  
__  
__Jax has a plan though and all this will be over soon, I just don't know when. That's why dad is at the cabin, he is waiting for things to resolve themselves because he is disgusted with current events.__  
__  
__Baby, I am scared I will scare you away. I know you are strong, I know you have dealt with all kinds of shit, I know you have "skill sets that prepare you for situations such as this". I still don't want to put any of this on you.__  
__  
__I don't want to make the same mistakes with you that I did with Lyla. I don't want to force you into being who you are not. I don't want to push my Donna shit on you.__  
__  
__But I don't think I am doing that. When I am with you, I do not miss her like I normally do. I am living for that moment with you...with my family. Not fighting like hell to relive and re-feel my past.__  
__  
__I still want to protect you, be the rock you can rely on, the arms to hold you, the man who kisses you goodnight, good morning, to kiss you any time I damn well feel like, because you make me better. You feel like home to me.__  
__  
__You are right though, I don't know you, I want to. _

_You can't scare me away. __  
__  
__When I get back and this is all over, I will show you how real we can be. __  
__  
__ I cherish you,__  
__Opie_

She let a tear or two slide down her face before shouting "Fucker!"

Kendal grabbed her phone, her keys and the bag full of goodies she prepared the night before as fast as she could in her current more rotund state. She was waddling to the car in 5 minutes and was at the shop in 8.

When she pulled up there was a gathering of people saying their goodbyes, she did not have time to be self-conscious about her outfit, as she did not have the time they did to prepare. She toddled over in her yoga pants, tank top that did not completely cover the bottom of her burgeoning basketball belly, no bra, flip-flops, and wild bedhead hair in a lopsided ponytail. Needless to say she got some interesting looks and was very cold.

She hugged a few of the guys on her way through the crowd, saying "stay safe" and "have a nice trip" and things like that.

She finally got to her brother "There you are!" she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug. "I don't need to know what you are doing, just tell me you have your first aid kit, and that you are going to be careful…" she said as she slid her hand down the seam his jacket and covertly stuck the locator inside of it "and that you will call or text every 3-4 days to let me know you still have a pulse."

"First aid is on the bike, I will be careful, and I will let you know…promise." Tig swore as he slid off his jacket and gave her the flannel button up shirt he had on underneath.

"Promise on your dick? If you lie you shall never get laid again?" She gave him very serious eyes as she put on the shirt.

"May it fall off and shrivel, if I'm lying to you…" Tig smiled "you know you are kind of sick..."

"I keep telling you we're related…." She smiled and kissed his cheek and handed him one of the goodie bags she prepared "here's some food, and a special cell…it has special programming to wipe itself to default every time it is turned off….and it has instructions…you will figure the rest. Gotta run, Tiggy. I love you." She said and gave him one last hug.

"I'm not going to war Kay, just Arizona." He whispered to her "you stay safe, too okay?"

She nodded in his shoulder and when he released her she moved on towards the back, where she saw Opie. When he turned and saw her he lit up. "Thought you could just up and leave me, huh?" her tone was angry but she couldn't help but smile at him too.

"Thought you needed the rest, you were snoring and all…" Opie said playfully.

"Well you have kept me up," she teased closing the distance between them.

"Haven't heard you complain much…" he teased right back.

"I dare say I have very few complaints…but I do have a some, starting with…" she was about to continue their playful banter but apparently she was waddling too slow for him so he closed the distance and kissed her.

The kiss was exquisite, it was slow and tender, saying all the things he had meant to say to her. She felt whole when he kissed her like this, Opie felt the desperation in her kiss and held her tighter. Finally when they broke the kiss he looked at her face and tears streaming down her face "I don't care what you have to do, you bring your ass back home…okay?"

Opie nodded he couldn't promise anything but he would be damned if he didn't do everything he could to get back to her. He kissed her cheeks and her forehead "baby, I'm coming home."

"You fucking better!" She sniffed and shoved another goodie bag in his hand. She kissed him hard and walked away.

He followed her all the way to where Jax and Tara stood in deep conversation "Hey!" she announced her presence at a distance in order not to ease drop.

"Hey…" Tara & Jax said together both in very odd tones.

"Looking good little momma…" Jax said in the charming way only he could, pulling her into a hug and kissing her cheek.

"I was in a rush this morning…" she laughed "someone took my alarm away…" she added with a bit more attitude and rolled her eyes at Opie who snickered. "Here…" she put the last bag in his hand.

He looked in it and smiled, "you made me cookies?"

"That too." she smiled "more importantly there is a phone and some information in there…you might need..." She nodded to the file in the bag. "look at it when you have to stop...You can call me Q later," she laughed at her own joke before sombering up and saying quietly "Jax…bring them home okay?" he nodded at her and she turned to give Tara a hug "we good for Thursday?"

"You got it babe." Tara smiled.

"Thanks honey." Kendal chuckled at their inside joke as she walked away and Tara slapped her ass lightly.

Jax and Opie both looked confused but did not get a chance to comment because Ope was chasing after Kendal, again. He caught up to her when she got to her car and he opened the door for her "I love you."

"Don't say that…" Kendall grabbed his face in both hands and looked at him tenderly "Opie, you are more broken than me, and that is saying something. The love of your life died less than 5 years ago, and you were married to someone else less than 2 months ago…are still married to them." he started to protest but she shook her head and kept talking "I adore you…I am terrified I love you, but I am not one to say that unless I mean it, from my core. You have given me so many wonderful things…you trust me with you kids, you've gave me this…" she placed his hand on her stomach "…which I never thought I could have."

She swallowed hard "But we have never spent more than a day together. Passion is what we have. Passion, trust, attraction, and mind blowing sex…Let's not call it love until it is."

"You are possibly the most frustrating woman on the planet, you know that?" Opie said as he took her face in his hands to mimic her "I love you…don't argue. Kiss me goodbye, go home, and go back to bed." she leaned forward and kissed him delicately and got into her car. "I don't do goodbyes…see you in a week or two."

She began to drive away and saw Koz already on his bike, she rolled down her window and yelled at him "Koz, do me a favor, don't get into any trouble."

Koz looked up at her looking disgruntled "why would it matter?"

She sighed and shook her head "Don't be a dick, man. We have always been friends…and I don't like my friends to get fucked up."

Koz just scoffed and looked at her "Do my best." Kendal smiled threw him a ziplock bag of cookies and waved at him as she left.


	17. No more Net

**No more net**

Three hundred miles or so down the road Ope, Jax, and a few others decided to stop for food and to fill up with gas. They had ordered some burgers at the truck stop connected to the gas station and they were gobbling down food, as Jax and Opie reviewed their care packages from Kay.

As Opie was staring at the pictures of his kids she had dropped in, Jax was thumbing through the black portfolio she had included, reading over all the detail, he impressed by its content. "Did you know she was going to do this?" he asked Opie, who did not answer "Ope?" Jax looked up to see Opie studying some papers that were included in his bag. "OPE!"

Opie looked up "Sorry Jax. She…" he started but still couldn't put into words what was in front of him.

"I know." Jax shook his head and smiled "with all this information, for the first time I don't feel like we are going into something blind." He started to laugh "I bet she didn't put the strip clubs in yours…she has it starred as Tig, Juice, Happy, Koz & Chibs."

"Strip clubs?" Opie looked at his friend blankly.

"Yeah, in the points of interest section." Jax said.

Ope looked at him again confused, put down the papers in his hand and grabbed the portfolio from Jax. He read it silently and thumbed through it not paying attention to all the detail but getting the over all idea that she had given them a trouble, cop, and conflict free blueprint for their trip. "How? When…" he said quietly to himself.

While Opie was looking over the portfolio Jax thought he would help himself to Opie's package assuming they were similar. He could not have been more wrong. The first page was a list of 20 ways to get in touch with Kendal, the kids, or the school. The second a list of dates and times that she suggested Opie call due to the fact that they were big days for Ope's kids (tests, games, recitals, tournaments, etc.). Next were a few pages of printed photos of the kids and one of the sonogram. Then was a small cheat sheet on the phone and first aid kit that she had included. The last was what Jax was sure stumped his friend and he felt awkward reading it.

_Ope,_

_It is somewhere near 4 in the morning, I have one more batch of cookies to make and my mind has went kind of numb, I think I have done all I can do for you guys from my office…and without more information…not nagging you or anything._

_If you are wondering why I put a copy of Harry Potter in here it's because Kenny said he wanted you to read it, he thought you would like the part about the flying motorcycle. Ellie told him you would never read it, and I told her to never say never…so it's on you now._

_Do you remember when I said I made peace with the Ima/Lyla thing…that may not have been entirely true, and you know how I pride myself on being honest with you so…_

_I am hormonal, I am wound up, and I am 100% in LOVE with your kids. _

_If something happens to you, I want you to know that your kids will never want for anything…ever. If you or Piney can not or will not do something they need I will. I have watched their hearts mend again and again and if I can I will make sure it never gets torn again._

_They have a hole in them. It is the hole they get from missing you Opie. I don't want my child to have that hole. _

_I am not asking you for anything. I am saying you are in or you are out. I refuse to let you treat me and my child as a burden and not a blessing…now we are a blessing, but in a few months or years when things get more complicated than they are now I don't want to have to explain to them that you have to be gone for whatever reason you have._

_I am not asking for forever, I am not asking for you to even be with me, what I need from you before anything goes any further is your oath, your word, and your honor, that our child will never be something you cast aside…and that Ellie & Kenny will have top billing again, once all this bullshit is over._

_I love you's, sweet words, and your dizzying kisses, distract me & confuse my senses, but they don't mean much... Actions do._

_Stay alive & get your ass home,_

_Kendal_

When Jax put the letter down his own heart was heavy, thinking about the family he had left at home. "Damn." he said putting the note down and looking at Opie. "What are you going to do?"

"It's a long list…" Opie said solemnly "but I guess it starts with keeping to my schedule, he thumbed the page of suggested calls, and reading Harry Potter…."

Jax shrugged and they ate the rest of their meal in silence, both weighed down with the responsibilities waiting at home, and the grueling business on the road ahead of them.

* * *

An event Kendal had been both terrified and anxious of came at her like a left cross out of nowhere the Monday after they left.

She had just picked up Kenny and they were talking about school, they sat outside of the middle school waiting for Ellie when Kenny blurted out "Can I marry you even if you are having someone else's baby?"

This did not alarm her Kenny had proposed to her many times she always said either yes or asked him why he would want to be with some one as old as she was. Which is what her response this time was, Kenny was going on about how he didn't care how old she was when Ellie got in the car.

"Is he going on about marring you again?" she laughed.

"Don't laugh! I am going to fight the dad, and then I will marry her! And take care of her, like a good Dad!" He exclaimed.

Ellie rolled her eyes and said "Kenny it's Dad's."

Kendal froze and she could not think; was this really happening…would she finally have to have the talk with them…she probably would have been more comfortable with the real birds & the bees talk than having to explain to them that Opie and her were…whatever they were, but none the less she was having his baby.

Kenny started to cry. Kendal pulled over and turned to look at them. Ellie was looking sad for her brother, but also resolved in the fact that this was what needed to be said. It was the first time Kendal felt bad for instilling some of her values in her. Honesty not fantasy, hard work not magic, was possibly a little too harsh for a 12-year-old if this was the results.

Kendal started to comfort him the best she could "Kenny its okay…"

"No it's not!" he yelled and continued to wail.

"Okay…" she said "Take 3 deep breaths, and tell me what is wrong."

Kenny took the 3 breaths and then said "I never want to go back home, I wanted to marry you, and be the daddy of your baby so I never had to…" he said and started to tear up again.

"Take another breath buddy." Kendal cooed at him gently handing him a bottle of water.

Once he calmed down some more he continued "Is dad really the daddy?"

Kendal steeled herself for more tears as she replied "Yes, Kenny. Opie is my baby's father."

"Are you going to go away too?" he asked.

"Not a chance babe," she smiled and touched his nose. "As long as you want…and probably after. I will be here. I'm not going anywhere." She assured him; both Ellie and him smiled. "Plus everyone needs a big brother, just like you." And with that Kenny beamed.

That night after Kenny went to bed she had a very good heart to heart with Ellie who was very pragmatic about the situation. Then asked sincerely "Kay, I don't want to go back home. Can we really stay with you?"

Kendal looked at her and said "Yes and no. If it were up to me you could stay here forever, but I am not your mother, or your father so if Opie wants to take you home…he is your dad and that's what you guys will do. But my door, my home, and my heart will always be open for you…Okay?"

She nodded and they hugged, then life went on about as normal as it could…with Kenny now spending a lot of time planning on how to be the best big brother he could be.

When Opie called later that week Kendal wished she could have seen his face when Kenny said "Dad! I am gonna be the best big brother!"

It took him a minute but Opie finally responded "That's great little man…" as cautiously as he could. Later that night after the kids were in bed Ope called to speak with Kendal were she relayed the conversation. His only reply once hearing it was "They love you."

The Thursday after the guys left Kendal was in her OB/GYN's office with Tara beside her. Kendall tried her best not to panic but when it came to big events in her life she was always waiting for the other shoe to fall.

"Here we go!" the radiology tech said as she squirted cold jelly on Kendal's round tummy. She made a few swirls and quick clicks on her machine and then said the doctor would be right in.

Tara assured Kendal it would be okay and held her hand. When the doctor entered he went to the machine and then grabbed the jelly and applied it liberally all around Kendal's belly and swirled it as he made small talk. "Doc, cut the bullshit, how is my baby?" Kendal finally blurted out.

"Fine, fine, I want to do a vaginal sonogram. I need to see some things we can't with this." He said before pulling out a phallic like probe and with a small warning and lots of jelly stuck it right in, and moved it around like a joy stick clicking the machine occasionally.

"Doc?"

"Sorry, Ms. Devlin…I just wanted to make sure of something." He pulled out the probe. Turned the machine to face Kendal and Tara and placed the wand back on her belly. "Here is your perfectly healthy baby…would you like to know the sex?"

"If I am not mistaken that is a girl…." Kendal said beaming.

"That's right." He smiled. "Do you see that shadow behind her?" he said moving the want over to show the dark spot a little more.

Tara's eyes focused and she had a look of concern. "yes…I see that…" Kendal said holding her breath for the bad news.

"It is an abnormal growth, we can not be sure with out going in and we don't want to do that until after you have the baby…more than likely it is a cyst or another egg that was in your womb that did not get fertilized and flushed out." He explained.

"So what does it mean for the baby?" she asked cautiously.

"Space maybe an issue, the last month of your pregnancy will be a bit more difficult. Mostly it means that we are going to need to have you in for a C-section when it is time and that after the baby is born we are going to want to remove the growth completely." He explained further.

"The baby is okay though…nothing is going to happen to it?"

"It's going to be fine." He said reassuringly.

They made several future appointments including if all went well to have the baby on March 6th. After the appointment they went shopping for the first gender specific items. When Kendal was peeing Tara called Jax "Hey, baby…"

"So good to hear you babe, what's going on? Are the boys alright?" Jax said.

"Boys are great, they are with Gemma now, Kay and I are shopping. We just got out of her 20 week sonogram." Tara said.

"has she called Ope yet?" Jax asked.

"I don't think so. She said he would be calling soon and she would just tell him then, something about she rather him call when the kids were around or something…" Tara paused "there's a complication, she is keeping a brave face but I think she is scared Jax."

"What kind of complication, is she okay? Is the baby okay?" Jax questioned.

"She has a growth on her uterine wall, the doctor is going to remove it once the baby is born and do a biopsy once it's removed." Tara sighed "The doctor said it is most likely nothing, which is true but in some cases…babe it could be bad, Kay says as long as the baby is fine she will be but…" let out a breath "no one takes this kind of news on the chin, like she is doing."

"I'll tell Ope to call. Couple more days and we'll be headed back." He said changing his tone from worried to excited.

"How long until you have to go on another run?" Tara asked.

"We'll be home for a while, but we will make one day runs every two weeks or so." He said.

"How long until it's all over?"

"Soon babe, I promise. I will see you soon." Jax said.

"I love you." Tara said as she hung up and watched Kay come back.

"I texted Ope." Kendal said as she got her bag and they walked to the next store.

"What did you say?" Tara inquired.

Kendal paraphrased the text she had debated on while peeing. It simply read _'We are having a girl. March 6__th__. I want to tell your dad myself, if you hear from him let him know I am looking for him.'_

"Nothing else?"

"Like what? I carry the baby, so i'm choosing the name. I am doing all the heavy lifting here…" she put her hand on her stomach "literally. He should feel happy that I let him in the loop."

"Aren't we feisty today?" Tara laughed. "How many shades of pink are there in this place?"

"I know! I wish there were other colors for girls besides the 50 shades of pink everyone has." Kendal guffawed, as she purposefully put her phone away and ignored until the alarm to pick up the kids went off.

Opie sat in the clubhouse of SAMTAZ staring at his phone and the picture that was just sent to him. He had tried to call Kendal twice and texted her a few times now he just sat here and wait for her to call him back looking at the picture of his new little girl, his heart feeling like it could not get any bigger.

* * *

It took 13 days total until Opie returned. Though Kendal swore she did not count.

He got in close to 11 o'clock in the morning, and with the help of some of the guys & Gemma, and the covert information he was able to get out of Ellie & Tara he was able to put together a surprise for Kendal.

He and the boys had finished putting together all the furniture in the nursery, and packed away all the baby things she had gotten so far. That is of course after the mural his tattoo artist friend came and painted dried. On the lilac walls he had painted a few dandelions outlines in different shades, purple, pink, white, and a pastel yellow he had also painted a few seeds flying around the room on an invisible breeze with the words 'Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart' waving in it as well.

At 6 p.m. when Kendal walked in the door with the kids the house was clean, dinner was on the table, and a happy, clean & fresh smelling Opie was waiting for her. Kendal was overwhelmed.

The kids rushed to their dad and gave him hugs and hello's while Kendal put down her things and dazed looked around. When she left this morning the living room was full of boxes of un-assembled baby furniture, there was a sink full of dishes, and a basket of clothes on the edge of the couch…she turned an headed towards her bedroom to pull herself together when she saw the nursery. It was gorgeous.

Opie found her in the door way looking in with tears running down her face. He rested his chin on the top of her head as his arms went around her. "If you don't like it we can repaint it or rearrange it. Ellie said you didn't want anything too girly and Tara said you were thinking about cherry blossoms but did not want that much pink. Thought this was better, more you."

"Ope…its absolutely perfect." She turned in his arms and hugged him "This is the NICEST thing anyone has ever done for me." She sniffed some of her tears back "thank you."

"This is just the beginning babe. I am going to be around more, to help you…you, Ellie, Kenny and our baby are world." He said kissing her cheek softly "I am going to show you…then maybe you will stop guarding yourself so much and let me love you, the way a woman like you needs to be loved… You are not a temporary blessing this family he said placing a hand on her belly are my world." Then he kissed her lips slow and sweet taking whatever apprehension and safety net Kendal had away.


	18. The good times begin

**The good times begin**

The next month for Kendal was heaven.

Well as close to heaven as you can get when while 6 months pregnant and taking care of a pre-teen and a 2nd grader. Opie was home frequently. They spent more and more time together and Opie was treating his family like they were the only thing that mattered. Ellie and Kenny were doing wonderful. Opie made it to both of their last games of the season. They all went trick-or-treating together, they ate meals together, went to the movies, and one weekend even made a trip to the beach.

It was more amazing than Kendal thought possible. If it wasn't for his missing a few days here and there to mule drugs for a cartel and/or import & sell illegal weapons to several criminal organizations and her job of researching people for her clients to assassinate thus, making a profit off of death herself…they would have been downright wholesome.

Kendal had agreed to let Ope, Tig and some of the guys come with her to the competition in the desert under 2 conditions, one that no matter what might happen they could not under any circumstance start any trouble and the second was that her and Ope go in a car and not on a bike, because it was cold.

After a wonderful Thanksgiving meal at Gemma's, Ope & Kendal left the kids with Piney and headed to Las Vegas, with the rumbling of Tig and the others behind them. Early in the morning she received the GPS coordinates from John the Gunn and beamed as she got ready. Ope begrudgingly got out of bed to go with her, and the other guys would join them later as they had just went to bed.

Opie and Kay drove to an a massive lot in the desert and when the guard saw her in the passenger seat he waved them through. When then strolled inside the gates Opie was amazed at what he saw and she how she began to glow. An extremely impressive gun range the size of 3 or 4 football fields set in the back with different obstacles, up front there was a registration table and information desk, and on the side were concession stands of all kinds….but that was it, no one was selling anything but food and drinks.

A large bald man in cammo shorts and a blue t-shirt that read 'This is my rifle, would you like to see my gun?' with an arrow pointing down came up to Kendal and said in a very effeminate voice "Baby girl!" and he bent her backwards and gave the slightest of pecks that looked like a passionate reunion to outsiders…including Opie who was highly uncomfortable with the goings-ons. He stood her back up and said "I can't believe they wouldn't let you in this year! Assholes!"

"Sam, look at me! What event could I be in this year…really?" Kendal smiled and sighed.

"Girl, I heard…you look stunning! Even knocked up I bet you could out shoot half these poser mother fuckers!" he said with enough attitude that Opie knew he was gay and it was confirmed when he continued "But it looks like you brought in some fresh meat…How you doing sailor?"

"Opie, this is Sam," Kendal could not hide a chuckle when looking at Opie's confused face "Sam this is Opie…aka _my_ gentlemen friend."

"Hey, man" Opie stuck out his hand for a hand shake.

When Sam shook it he looked at Kendal "Not your usual but very, very nice." He then turned to Opie and his voice changed, it deepened and had a commanding bass tone in it "If you hurt her I will slit your throat in your sleep, and rape your corpse."

"Sam!" Kendal chided.

Sam let go of Opie's hand and went to Kendal kissing her on the forehead "I worry about you. Bobby's here, Kay babe if he starts anything let us take care of it okay?" Kendal nodded and he said "I have to run, Judge's table is at the front edge of the range. We have you down for trick shot pistol & rifle, and for the art shot. We also have you as fill in for distance and double-handed target shooting."

As Sam walked away and much to Kendal's surprise Opie did not ask any questions about Sam instead he asked "What's your usual?"

"Prettier." She said and kissed him.

The day went by with Opie being more surprised with each person he met, he realized this was the closest thing Kendal had come to sharing her past. Each person that said hello beamed at her, told her congratulations, some apologized about her father, some warned her about Bobby being there, and 1 out of 3 threatened him. All together it was a rather strange day for Opie, but it made her glow.

While Kendal was talking to someone named Che, Opie went for drinks at the concession stand which he had chuckled about immensely when he saw. He returned to a much different scene than he had left.

Kendal was sitting up rigid, and whatever glow was in her early had died. The man she was talking to had changed as well, it was no longer a short Hispanic man with tattoos all over him. This was a tall, well-built, olive complected man with dark hair and a very evil smile. Opie immediately knew it was Bobby, and just as immediately wanted to kill him. He remembered his promise to Kendal to not start anything, and he looked around to see that he wasn't the only one watching the conversation. He walked up and sat her drink down in front of her and then stood behind her, drinking his beer and trying to not reach across the table and grab this man's throat.

Whatever conversation they were having changed when Opie arrived "Is that him?" Bobby asked with so much hatred in his voice it sounded like a threat.

Kendal though at maximum alertness was using a casual air to unnerve her conversing opponent. "Yeah," she smiled looking back at Opie "that's my man…and the baby daddy." She let out a pleasured sigh grabbing Opies hand to hold and nuzzling it gently with her cheek.

Bobby was determined to piss off Kendal so he got louder to invite more eaves droppers into their talk "Does he make you scream like I can?"

Opie tensed and Kendal patted his hand soothingly as she said "God no! He doesn't slap me, punch me, kick me, cut me, force me to fuck him when I don't want to…." she said unruffled "mmm…but he has spanked me a time of two." she winked at Bobby and Opie had on a shit eating grin while he snickered.

"You know what I meant! Does he fuck you like I do?!" Bobby was the one becoming rattled.

"Bobby," she sounded sarcastically aghast "I hardly think that is a question for mixed company…" she smiled "but if you just have to know…" she paused and turned off her cool front "He fucks me so good I have forgotten you all together."

"Bullshit!" Bobby cried out.

"He is a better man to me and more of a man inside of me than you ever were." She said gutting him but was not fully satisfied so she continued "He takes care of me in ways you never could, he doesn't run to daddy for every problem, nor does he have to use blue pills to fuck all night. The best part is that he doesn't have to make me cry to get his dick up at all…not to mention the size difference…" Kendal was about to go on one of her rants and it would have shredded every part of Bobby.

But before she could Bobby screamed indiscernibly and reached across the table and grabbed Kendal violently. Opie grabbed his hand as soon as it touched her "Opie." Kendal said kindly "Let him. Let the bastard hit me one time here, in front of all the people he is trying to impress. Let him hit me, once…and I want to see what happens to him…" Kendal looked frightening as she continued in a monotone dead serious way "Maybe Sam will finally have his way with you, maybe Spyder will just cut your hands off, maybe you will just be escorted out and a few days from now when you are in bed with some whore who doesn't know about your dick problem someone will creep into your house and cut off you flaccid dick and put it in your mouth and let you bleed out. I really want him to hit me so I can find out what happens. Best lottery ever."

Bobby swallowed and looked around at everyone watching and Sam blew him a kiss. He pulled his hand away from Opie and smiled at Kendal "Catch you later doll."

"You couldn't catch me, if you tried." She laughed at him.

"I'm not afraid of your little biker…or his leather loving friends." He sneered as he turned to walk away.

"You should be." Tig stood behind him with Happy & Chibs he had the crazy look in his eyes he sometimes got.

"Tiggy no…" Kendal called getting up and Opie held her back.

"Don't worry sis, I ain't gonna do it here. But I am going to kill this piece of shit," Tig said and he tilted his head left then right "he is going to scream. What I do to you will be art." Bobby rolled his eyes and walked away but was a little faster in his gait.

Kendal walked over and hugged Tig. "Well that went way better than I thought." she giggled.

Tig kissed her temple "Why didn't you threaten him with us ripping him to shreds?" Tig asked playfully but with a serious tone.

"Sammy is way scarier…" she said as she waved to Sam who was still watching closely.

The rest of the competition was peaceful, the guys really enjoyed it and Tig even made it to the finals of 'Moving shot'.

* * *

Later that night at the hotel while Kendal was brushing her teeth Opie tried to breach the topic of Kendal's past. "Babe?" she looked him "Who were all those people today?"

"Most of them I have known since I was 10 or so and they have seen me grow up all these years…Sam was my first kiss." She smiled "That was before all the stuff went down between him and his father." She explained before finishing up and gargling.

"Who's his father?" Opie questioned because she said it as if he should have known.

"John the Gun." She looked at him with a pitying look in her eyes "I got all wrapped up in everything I forgot to give you the cliff notes on everyone!" she laughed as she climbed on the bed and straddled him. "Okay, so John is Sam's dad, and when he found Sam jerking off at like 13, staring at a magazine with men in it he could not deal, so he sent Sam away. Sammy wanted to make his father proud so he lived in shame and self hate for a while. Joined the marines, top blah blah blah, he was dishonorably discharged for homosexual behavior when they found him balls deep in one of his sergeants…" Opie grimaced slightly "John never talked to or about Sam…we are talking years. Sam got in the business and is one of the most fucked up ones, he does some revolting ass shit to his marks." She said shivering then she started to defend him from her own statement as if talking about a drunk uncle "He has a lot of misplaced rage, daddy issues and that kind of stuff, the last few years John has started talking to him again…not as a father to his estranged child but as people in the same line of business. It is both heartwarming and heart wrenching to see them together." Kendal finished the saga.

"Go back to the first kiss part." Opie said trying to focus on Kendal's past and not the past of everyone else.

"Oh that…" she brushed it off "He was 12 or so I was 11 and we snuck off to play and he pinned me down and kissed me. Then he let me up and apologized. Then we kept playing Army." She shrugged "Fairly uneventful. Yours?"

"Ashley Stiemen, under the slide when I was in 4th grade." Opie said pushing the hair off her shoulders and letting them trail down her back gently. "Do you want to tell me about Bobby?" he asked gently.

"No…but I guess I should." She sighed "What has Tiggy told you?"

"Just that he was an abusive asshole and it got worse after you lost the baby." Opie explained.

"That is a good summary…" Kendal confirmed. "there isn't much more. We started to date when I was 18 or so, he was my first everything but kiss, dad had pretty much abandon me again so I lived with him and his dad for a while. In the beginning it was great. He took me on his jobs and I helped him with the research part, and he would do the hit. When I wasn't at LSU working my ass off on my double major I was with him. We would travel around, fuck, he would do his job, and make shit loads of money. I got the idea for my business. He wasn't very supportive because he didn't want me doing anything for any one else…but he refused to pay me and I felt guilty using his money all the time. He didn't start with the bad shit until a few years in. We were fighting and he hit me, so I hit him back and then we would beat the shit out of each other…that happened more and more…then when I got pregnant. It was like a dream and we were on out best behavior…then I lost the baby and…" she sniffed back tears. "it was horrible from there."

Opie kissed her cheeks where tears had started falling. "Shhh, its okay. I'm sorry I asked, I never meant to make you…" she kissed him on the lips. It was gentle but needy, it was both a thank you letter and an invitation.

Opie & Kendal's sex life had been all over the place the last few weeks, they were together so the opportunity was always there, but circumstance had left them wanting from their more carnal desires. Kendal was often too exhausted at night but she never told him that…she would just fall asleep before making it to the bedroom. A few nights Kenny would have nightmares and sleep in between them. Opie occasionally thought that it was purposeful because his son would sleep with his arm around Kendal and he wasn't able to. Other times Kendal was too self-conscious about her changing body, she didn't feel sexy enough for Opie, who always told her she was. When they did have sex it was Kendal releasing all the hormones she had pent-up, it was never sweet and gentle, she always wanted him then and there and rode him roughly, or loudly encouraged him to ride her roughly.

Not that Opie minded, but he had wanted to make slow passionate love to his girlfriend for a long time and this seemed like his opportunity so when Kendal tried to get the show on the road he shook his head, wrapped his arms tightly around her pinning her arms to her side and her to him. Then he kissed her long and slow, holding her in place, rendering her a bit helpless. Her moans were deep and suggestive, it made it a bit more difficult for Opie to continue without barring himself in her but he resisted. He rolled them to the side so that Kendal lay on her back, he let go of her and rolled back on his side where he kissed and whispered sweet sentiments in her ear.

One of his hands trailed up and down her body and would unbutton a button every slow trip down until Kendal's pajama top laid open and her breast where available for gentle caresses. He ran his fingers across them lightly making her arch her back for his touch and goose pimples to cover her body. "Ope, please," she begged. He did not give in to her pleas or his need to gratify her immediately. He just kissed her again to quiet her she wrapped her arms around her and kissed him with so much wanting he had to pull away to not satiate her and his raging hard on. He slowed the kiss and grabbed her breast and messaged it lightly to please her and calm her. He slowly kissed his way down and left light kisses everywhere making her wiggle and writhe with want. When he finally sucked one of her nipples into his mouth she screamed out in pleasure.

"Please baby, please!" she moaned loudly as she began to rub herself through her pajama bottoms. He gently slapped her hand away as he took its place but instead of rubbing he just applied tender pressure for her to press herself into. She had rubbed herself on him while he suckled on her breast until she had her first orgasm of the night.

As she caught her breath he kissed her neck and continued with his sweet nothings in her ear "You are so beautiful," he said kissing her cheek then kissing the spot right behind her ear that made her shiver every time. "You are mine." He said sliding his hand to loosen the tie on the pajama bottoms he kissed down the side of her body until he was at her hip and he kissed over to the tie where he finished undoing the knot and then slid them off kissing her legs as he did. Even though she was very aroused she tried to cover up some of her body from him. He removed her hands and looked at her lying beneath him naked and wanting "No. You are all mine" he growled.

Seeing her like that made his self-control completely dissipate she whined with want and he answered sliding down his boxers and plunging in her roughly while holding a leg in each arm. As soon and he filled her to the hilt he moved slowly driving her mad with every thrust.

"Please baby fuck me! Fuck me hard, I want to cum so fucking bad!" She was biting her lip squeezing her tits and begging him. All she got was a gruff bark as he moved one of her legs to join the other and lay them on the bed and grabbed her hip to fuck her deeper and give himself more leverage. He did not look away from her. He watched as her breath caught in her throat and he made her cum again. That only cranked his engine more and he rocked harder against her making her orgasm last and multiply. He was very close but he did not want it to end just yet so he pulled out and fell next to her.

Her back was against his chest and she was still twitching from her orgasm. Opie he kissed the back of her neck, while one of his hands messaged her breast and the other slid in between her legs from behind. His forefinger thrummed a soft rigorous rhythm on her clit while his thumb circled and stroked her swollen lips he had her begging and bucking against him instantly. She wrapped her arms around him pulled on his hair and yelled "FUCK ME!" he slid his thumb inside her and twirled it around causing her to release him and grab the headboard for leverage to push herself on to his hand wanting deeper penetration.

Her cry was enough to drive any one mad with sexual desire but for him it was the sweetest sound of invitation. He used his hand to spread her open as he took her from behind. It was gentle at first but she was using the wall for power to press and ride against him so it spiraled into a deep hard lunges using her leg for leverage. When she clenched her inner muscles Opie was rendered powerless and she was able to roll him onto his back so she could reverse cowgirl him into her next orgasm putting him all the way inside her, rocking and grinding back and forth and clenching her muscles.

He grunted, used all his strength and taking control again, but only for a few seconds more, he moved her back to her side and thrust into her violently and kissed her hard watching the pleasure on her face before he clenched his eyes closed and came plunging in one more time as deep as he could making her cry out.

It took a few minutes for either of them to move or speak. They just laid there the air cooling the sweat on their skin, tangled in each other. He finally moved to pull himself out of her and she gave a cry of protest. He lay back beside her and reached over to turn off the lamp by the bed and that is how they fell asleep. Both too exhausted, and too content to do much else.


	19. Complications

**Complications**

The next morning Kendal woke up first. Her head was on Opie's chest, his harm was slung around her and hers lay across his waste. She stayed there and gave a contented sigh listening to his soft snores. She was absolutely content…then she saw the outline of his morning erection.

Kendal immediately felt that he did such a thorough and well done job the night before he needed to be thanked. She moved her hand to his shaft and gave it a few gentle stokes quietly saying "good morning."

Opie roused for just a moment to grumble "morning" before continuing his gentle snores.

Kendal lowered herself in between his legs trying not to touch him, she did not want to give him any warning on what reward he was about to receive. She used her hand to hold his mostly hard cock softly in place while she started at the bottom of the shaft with her head to one side she licked all the way up swirling her tongue in small circles she stopped just under the head and turned her head the opposite way and licked her way back down slowly letting her thumb graze over the tip.

Opie's eyes opened, he grunted and looked down at Kendal who was licking his balls and running her thumb in circles over the head of his dick. He was no longer groggy in the least. He was held hostage by the excruciatingly calculated pleasure she was giving him. On her route back up she was dead center, when she got to the diamond below the head she slowed and kissed it gently applying pressure with her tongue.

"Fuck, babe" he growled as she finally took him into her mouth sucking him down trying to take all of him in her mouth. When she had all she could she suckled and hummed sending vibrations down him, he clenched his jaw and put his hand in her hair while she bobbed up and down turning her head at different angles making him slick with her saliva.

When she slid him all the way out there was a wet slurp and she giggled with glee as he panted for her. She kissed the head and licked it lovingly rolling her tongue on the tip and the line below it, using her hands to stroke him spreading her saliva evenly around him. She drew in just the tip with her suckling mouth and worked him until his growls became feral. Then she returned to a much more fevered pace with the lapping up all of him in her mouth and sucking him wildly. "FUCK!" he snarled as she took him in and gagged on the tip of his dick.

He gushed in her mouth, reflexively driving himself into her mouth as he came and she closed her throat, letting his cum fall back over him. She let her hands slide up and down him as she continued to suck and kiss on the head. He quaked beneath her and her still hungry mouth.

He was somewhere between unconscious and afterglow when he felt the bed shift, he opened his eyes and watched her go the bathroom she simply said "Thank you for last night, it was wonderful."

"Fucking…your welcome, any time…." He said closing his eyes again trying to recover.

A few minutes later he knocked on the bathroom door "babe, I have to piss." He said cracking open the door.

"Who's stopping you?" she asked. "But don't fucking flush I don't want to get burned."

He gave a laugh and proceeded "So after the finals we can go home?"

"Yep, my events are not until the afternoon, if you want to go get breakfast…" she called and then peaked out the side of the curtain "I want pancakes…lots of them." She smiled and went back to her shower.

Opie closed the lid of the toilet yawned and climbed in the shower "Whatever you want baby…" he said kissing her forehead and cleverly shuffling her to the cold side of the shower.

"Fucker!" she said when she realized what had happened. She gave him a little shove "I just need to rinse out my conditioner and it's all yours." He moved to the side so she could finish up and watched as the water trailed down her. "Stop that…we don't have time." She smiled giving him a playful kiss.

"What?" he asked sincerely.

"You were growling," she splashed him.

"Couldn't help it…" he smiled at her and kissed her deeply.

"No, no no…I am out of here, giving you 15 minutes and we have to be ready!" she said pecking him on the shoulder and hopping out.

After breakfast they drove back to the games and like the day before she glowed when she was there, speaking to everyone and watching the games with excitement. Ope had went off to watch an event she had told him about where they show you targets for 10 seconds then blind fold you have to wait 5 seconds, then assemble & load 9mm glock you were provided, then you had 16 shots to shoot your 6 targets at least twice each.

When he came back to tell her some Navy seal and won it she was speaking with an older gentleman. He was in a military at ease stance and looked riveted by whatever she was saying. When he walked up the man was saying "I haven't missed my chance then." and kissed her on the cheek.

"Never. Call me. I will take you for lunch in Sacramento and we can talk about it more." She smiled sweetly and kissed his cheek too. "I really look forward to working with you, I think you will find my services very beneficial."

"I hear you're the best." He said flattering her.

"Billy flattery will get you everywhere with me," she flirted back "and it's very easy to be the best when there is no competition. You have my card…give me a call, I'll rock your world." She smiled and walked away.

Opie caught up to her quickly, "So…should I be jealous?" he whispered in her ear.

"Of Billy?" she gave it some thought and said "possibly…I mean, if I landed him I will have to spend more time at work, which means less time for you…but with him…" she sighed with wonder "that would be like landing Exxon. I could cut back on my other clients and keep it to like 3 or 4 tops, and still bring in the same amount or more than I do now with my 8. That is a very large fish, and I want him bad."

"Good thing I am not like my girlfriend if she heard me say that about another woman she would go crazy…" he joked.

"Your damn right I would." She said back to him pulled his beard and kissed him. He laughed and walked her to her next judging booth and went to sit in the crowd.

He watched her more than the show of shooting skill, she was breathtaking. He could not imagine his world without her in it. She once told him it was because she was the one taking care of his kids including the one inside of her. Though he protested a little part of him agreed with her. She had talked about his projected love illusions of her, and for a small time he believed her.

Now, looking at her, with out his kids around, just being near her made him happy. When other men looked at her he was not jealous, he was proud of her. She was amazing, and he never doubted her fidelity to him.

He was so lost in thought and admiration of Kendal he did not see Bobby creep up behind him. "Do you like the way she rolls her tongue on your dick?" he said interrupting Opie's fantasy about getting married to Kendal.

"Wha?" he turned his head and found Bobby looking from him to her.

"Do you like the way she rolls her tongue on your dick?" Bobby asked again.

"Get the fuck out of her man." Opie said quietly trying not to draw attention to them.

"I taught her that…" Bobby said laughing at Opie's clenched jaw and fists.

"Get away from me, and stay the fuck away from her." Ope turned to him.

"I don't think so…" Bobby said hauntingly "I think I am going to wait until you are gone, then I will cut your baby out of her and put mine back in…then I will fuck her face up so much you wouldn't love her anymore…and she will come crawling back to me."

Opie was going to hit this mother fucker harder than he had ever hit anyone in his life but was stopped by Sam who grabbed his arm and held him at bay "Bobby, dad wants to see you about the Winner ceremony. Get the fuck out of here."

Opie was still livid he could not believe he could not kill that guy here and now. He grunted loudly and turned to walk away before Kendal could see what was happening. Sam caught up with him and said "come with me." Opie followed begrudgingly, "How much has Kendal told you about all of this? And him?" the last word oozed hate.

"Some." He grunted "Look man, I didn't fucking hit him, though I should have if you heard the shit coming out of his mouth, I didn't break any of your goddamn rules."

"I know." Sam stopped him. "But before you get any deeper with Kay you need to know some things, and she would never tell you…not her style."

"Aren't you breaking some sort of rule or pact or some shit talking to me." Opie said "Kay says no one talks to outsiders about anyone…" he sounded ill "that's why she can't tell me the things she can't tell me."

Sam looked at him "She can't, I'm a psychopath with a death wish, an ax to grind, and a shitload to prove. I can say whatever the fuck I want, and dare a mother fucker to stop me."

"Why are you doing this man?" Opie questioned the gift he was about to receive.

"I've cared about 3 people in this world, my dad who fucking hates his fag son, my lover Jason who died in Iran, and Kay." Sam said "She always helped me…and I am going to help you, because she fucking deserves to be happy."

"Alright, what do you have to say." Ope said.

"We need to find her brother first I am only saying this shit once." Sam said looking around.

Once Sam & Ope found Tig, Sam led them to an RV in the back. They walked in and sat at the table/bench/couch. "Alright." Sam readied himself. "I am a crazy son of bitch, and don't give 2 shits if people know I told you this, but…I would prefer if Kay didn't know," he cleared his throat "she worries."

Ope & Tig smiled and said "we know."

The three men shared looks of understanding before Sam continued "The only reason Bobby Jr is not dead is because of his father." Sam said. "She tell you about the barber?"

"What the fuck is with these names man?" Tig asked.

"So that's a no…" Sam said.

"The Bobby the Barber is Handsome's dad, he is a big fucking deal, mostly because he was contracted through the Gambino family for so long. He has ties to powerful fucking people in high fucking places because of that. No one fucks with him or his son." Sam explained "That and the fact that 13 people have tried to kill him and nothing fucking works. We call him the barber because back in '79 someone slit his throat from here to here" Sam moved from one side of his throat to the other "…mother fucker lived, and killed the guy holding the blade. He has also been shot, stabbed, poisoned, he is harder to kill than god."

"No one survives a bullet in the brain," Tig said.

"Good luck but I wouldn't try it." Sam said.

"Thought we came here to talk about Kendal." Opie said.

"Yeah," Sam said and this part was hard for him "did she tell you he just beat her a little? That it was only a few times? That is really wasn't bad until she lost the baby?" they both nodded. "She is a fucking optimist." He went to the back and grabbed a lockbox "she gave me these, to hold on to and to make sure no one got a hold of" he opened it up and passed them the pictures Kendal in a hospital bed her head was wrapped in gauze and her face was barely discernible from the swollen lips eyes and bruises, then there was her body which was beaten and broken to, you could even see an outline of a boot print. As they looked each grew somber and then hardened.

"That was the last time, after the baby. He tied her up for 3 weeks, raped her, left her in diapers, and the only food he let her eat she had to beg for. That was the worst one. But not the only…when she was 20 or so I got 2 week leave from overseas and I came to visit her and ask about my dad, she was limping and had bruises all over her face. I told her I would kill him then, but she made me promise not to because she was afraid of what would happen to me." Sam said "I should have done it, I should have crushed his fucking skull when he walked in with that smug fucking look on his face…but I promised so I left and I said if he did it again I would kill him anyway."

"Why didn't you?" Tig said accusingly.

"I wasn't here…" Sam hung his head "I in Afghanistan, she still sent me letters and care packages told me everything was fine. When I got out she was pregnant and they were happy, she said the baby was going to fix things and if he ever did anything else she would kill him herself…never seen her so happy until now."

"I stayed with her while Theo and Alex hunted him down. He was at his Father's place in Mexico, the Barber was there and I don't know what he used but he got his son out of it" Sam said "when Kendal woke up, a part of her had died. I think it happened when she lost the baby…" Sam said "She made me promise not to kill him saying that if anyone was going to do it she earned that right and she wanted him to suffer first…I couldn't argue. The Barber threw her a lot of business, she went from a small time potatoes to rich and busy as fuck in a few months. She poured herself into only her job, and she is damn good. Bobby couldn't get near her, Alex made sure of that…"

"No matter what she says, Bobby is a problem. You can't do shit to him here, but you can when he is here." Sam handed them a list of addresses. "now get the fuck out." They started to leave "Opie?" Ope turned around and looked at him "if you hurt her, I will kill you."

Opie looked downright lethal "I should kill you for not doing shit to help her…"

"You're welcome to give it a try…" he said leaning back and closing his eyes. Tig grabbed Opes shoulder and dragged him out slamming the door behind him.

* * *

On the way back to Charming Opie was cold and distant. "What's wrong?" Kendal asked gently. "Did you not have a good time?"

He cleared his throat and smiled at her "I had a great time babe," he said "Sorry I just got a lot on my mind with the run coming up…" he took her hand and kissed it tenderly "What do you think we should get the kids for Christmas?" he asked "I think we should really go crazy this year."

She was still concerned but said what she was meaning to broach with him soon "I have 2 words for you Disney Land." He laughed and they spent the rest of the trip home planning while Kendal booked things on her iPad.

Days later Opie and Tig asked for a special church session. Once everyone was at the table, Clay said "Well…" and looked at them.

"We want to ask Romeo for a favor…" Tig said. "I really want to do it myself but I don't want any blow back on the club."

"I wanna be there." Opie said resolved.

"Wanna to be where?" Clay asked as they were not being forthcoming with their request. "asking Romeo, and the Cartel for something could get complicated…"

"We have an address of Kay's ex, and the mother fucker is gonna die." Tig said.

"Why do we need Romeo?" Jax asked.

"It's in Mexico," Opie explained "and the piece of shit has some high connections, we don't want anything to bounce back on us."

"I know she is your sister and your old lady but is this gash worth it?" Clay said "I mean this is calling in a favor from Galindo, I am trying to keep that to a bare minimum myself. We will keep her safe here, that wop can't get to her here." He finished.

Jax watched Opie tense and could only imagine the shit going on in his brain. He could tell Ope was about to explode, when Tig stood up and threw a bunch of pictures across the table, he had lifted them from Sam's trailer "He did that, to her." Tig said and you could hear the pain down to his soul "and he still talks to her, he touched her last weekend."

Opie finally spoke and it made everyone shut up there gasps and remarks of disgust. "He told me he was going to carve my baby out of her."

The table was dead silent as they looked over pictures of the strong cheerful girl they all knew beaten and broken. "Are we voting on this?" Tig demanded.

"No need, brother." Chibs said first. "This piece of shit must die, by our hands!" everyone agreed.

"Well then we will talk to Romeo at our next drop." Clay said resigned. "it may take a few weeks but we will get this bastard."


	20. Not yet try again

**Not yet...try again.**

Christmas was great. The day the kids got out of school for their winter break Opie picked them up and took them to Kendal's she had already packed their stuff and it was in the car ready to go, but they did not know that.

When they walked in she looked very somber, and said "We need to talk." Both Kenny & Ellie looked terrified. "I found these in your room, I was hoping you could explain yourselves…" she handed them a folder that resembled their homework folders.

"What is this?" Ellie questioned, "It's not mine…"

"Just look in it and explain yourself missy!" Opie said.

Kenny panicked and said "It's not mine! Please don't make us go away!"

Kendal rushed to him and threw her arms around him, "It's okay, you are not going anywhere…" she comforted him.

Ellie had opened hers up and squeaked. "Kenny! Kenny! Open yours up! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" she squealed and gave her dad a running hug.

Kenny eyes went from worried to curious and when he opened the folder up there was a letter from Mickey Mouse:

_Hi Kenny,_

_I spoke to Santa and he said you have been wonderful all year. He thought you would like to come and spend a week with me here at my castle in Disney Land. I called your Dad and he said it was okay._

_Would you like to come and play with us?_

_Love,_

_Mickey, Donald, Goofy & Pluto_

Kenny's eyes bulged out of his head as he read it, he was completely overwhelmed. When he finished he had to go sit on the couch he slowly looked from the letter to Opie, then to the letter then Kendal, he looked at the letter one more time before saying in a daze "Mickey knows my name."

Kendal smiled at Opie who was still hugging Ellie and they nodded at each other saying _'right choice.'_ They loaded up and headed out and had a week of entirely too much fun.

Kenny met many of his idols such as Mickey, Buzz Lightyear, and Goofy. Even though Ellie swore she was too old for it, she & Kendal got Princess make-overs, which she loved. Especially when her Ope saw her and said she looked a little shinier but she was always his princess. Kendal hoped that whatever cynical ideals she had influenced Ellie with would be washed away or at least diluted by this vacation.

There were parades, fireworks, breakfast with Goofy, rides galore, swimming, and just about everything a kid dreams about happening at Disney Land happened to/for Kenny & Ellie. Every smile or theirs were worth more to Kendal than she could ever, ever describe. Opie's weren't half bad either, it took him a day or two to get past the cheesiness, but even he eventually got wrapped up in the magic of the place.

Late one night while in bed he whispered to Kendal "Are you asleep?"

"No…I was thinking tomorrow we should go outside of magic wonderland and do something in the real world…" she sighed "Like go to Universal Studios or go see the stars on Hollywood Blvd. Maybe shop for things that don't have a mouse on the label…the real gritty stuff" she laughed.

"I was thinking to…" Opie said.

"About what? You want to go to Legoland don't you…" Kendal teased.

"I was thinking that after my divorce from Lyla, you could marry me." He said not laughing.

Kendal stopped laughing, looked at him, and said sincerely "I am not going to tell you no, Ope…but I am not going to say yes either…more of a try again later….like when I am not big as a bubble, when your daughter and I do not have matching pink toenails with daisy's on them. When our life is more settled and…" she kissed his troubled face "when you are not asking because we are both high on happiness and are starting to believe in magic."

"You still don't believe I love you?" he asked bracingly.

"Of course I believe you, and I love you…" she kissed him firmly "but that is no reason to go losing our heads!" she said with her best Queen of Hearts impersonation.

Opie had on an enormous smiled and he felt better than he had in years. It was the first time she said that she loved him, and he knew she meant it, even though it was followed by a somewhat hysterical statement. "Okay…I'll try again. How many times are you going to make me ask?" he kissed the top of her head.

"Well I guess until I say yes…" his chest puffed out "or no…" she said and bit his chest "don't get too cocky, cowboy."

"Oh I will show you cocky…" he said rolling on top of her holding himself between her legs and having her whimper beneath him.

* * *

They got back to Charming a few days before New Years Eve. Kendal volunteered to keep Abel & Thomas for Jax and Tara to go to the party at the club house and then get some well-deserved alone time. Ope went to the party at the clubhouse for less than an hour before leaving and coming home to his family. Kendal had Thomas & Abel already in bed and Ellie and Kenny were watching the Dr. Who New Year's special.

By 11 o'clock Opie was the only one still awake. He got a text from Jax that said he was on his way to get the kids. Tara and he were not feeling the clubhouse party either.

Opie, moved both of his kids to their rooms before waking Kendal up "What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"11:45, Jax and Tara are coming to get the boys…" he said "I didn't know if you wanted to go to bed or talk to them or marry me?" He asked.

"Tricky, tricky, tricky," she said getting up. "Might as well…" Opie look at her questionably "…stay up." she clarified.

When midnight came the 4 friends watched the ball drop on TV, kissed and hugged and wished each other many happy tidings for the new year. Tara & Jax got the boys and were gone before 12:30.

When they crawled into bed Opie said playfully "You might be taming me."

"Highly doubtful, but I am trying to ride all the rough out of you…" she said before falling back to sleep in his arms.

* * *

Tig & Opie heard back from Galindo about Bobby after new years. Clay said that the price for Bobby's death would be substantial. Tig said it did not matter and explained they (Romeo & Galindo soldiers) did not have to take the guy out, just get them to the complex in Mexico and they would do the rest. Romeo's sources also said that no one would be at the house until mid-February.

They were not satisfied with the delay, but at least they had a plan now. As February came closer things with the cartels had become more and more violent, the club held up their end of the bargain, though it was much debated on. However, now Tig & Opie agreed without coercion because of the promise of getting their hands on Bobby.

It was the day of the run to Tucson after they met up with SAMTAZ they would go to Nogales to meet with Romeo and then down to Puerto Penasco in Sonora where they would find Bobby's hacienda and Bobby.

Opie took the kids to school that morning. Kendal was sleeping late more often because of her many restless nights due to being almost 8 months pregnant. When he got back home he made her pancakes and they ate breakfast together, and as he did almost every day he asked her to marry him and she replied with one of her usual quips, today's was "Get a divorce and ask me again…" After breakfast they were having another usual exchange this one was more argumentative though.

Kendal wanted to take the kids somewhere fun for their spring break, but Opie said she and the baby would need to stay at home and that whatever the growth in her uterus was, needed to be dealt with it right away.

Kendal was not in a co-operative mood today, today she was even more crabby than usual, so instead of the conversation ending with a draw or a '_we will worry about later_' Kendal shouted "It's my goddamn body Opie! If I want to go to the San Diego mother-fucking Zoo with our kids, I'm gonna fucking do it and you can fall in line or stay the fuck home!"

When he left she was still steaming, she kissed him but gave him no well wishes or come home threats. Tig was outside waiting for him and asked if he should go inside and say hey. Opie replied "Enter at your own risk…and don't say I didn't warn you…" Tig put his helmet back on and followed Ope.

It took Kendal about 20 minutes to feel bad about the way Opie had left so she called him, when his voicemail picked up she left him as close as he was going to get to an apology message. An hour she felt downright horrible about the way she acted, but she was hard-headed and was not going to give in on this topic.

She texted him a few times, never apologizing, just some playful banter, which besides great sex was the one thing they always seemed to always have.

It was almost time to pick up the kids and she wanted to run by and pick up some pizza because she was already too tired to cook. She had grabbed her purse and phone but forgot to grab her iPad, she left the front door a jar while she padded back to the Kitchen to get it off of her charger, when she rounded the corner to go she heard "Hey doll, did you miss me?"


	21. Heartbreatk

**Heartbreak**

Ellie was at the corner where she was normally picked up, she waited for about 15 minutes before calling her brother to see if he had been picked up yet and Kendal was just running late, which had only happened once before. Kenny said he hadn't been picked up and he was at the playground waiting for someone to get him.

She told him to stay there and not go anywhere or with anyone until she got there. She trudged to her old school, which was about a 10 minute walk, when she got there she sat on a swing and watched her brother play while she called Kendal to ask what was going on.

When Kendal did not answer she called her grandfather, and no one answered so she gave up and called her dad.

Opie was slowing down to turn into a gas station when he felt his phone buzz, he took it out saw that it was Ellie, and thought that Kendal was playing dirty pool and using his daughter for more spring break ammunition. He answered fully prepared to just give in, knowing that his life was destined to be ruled by these girls and in about a month there would be another one to abide by.

"Daddy?"

"Hey angel," he said with a smile in his voice "what is going on?"

"Kay hasn't come to get us…I walked to Kenny's school and she isn't answering her phone neither is Grandpa." She explained in a worried tone "Can you come get us?"

Opie was instantly concerned this was very unlike Kendal "Stay put, I will call Kay and if she doesn't answer I will send some one to get you…don't leave with anyone unless you know them, okay?"

"Okay daddy…is everything okay?" she asked frightened.

"Everything is fine princess, go have fun with your brother someone will be there soon." Opie said and hung up.

He tried Kendal, then his father, then Gemma, and finally Tara…no one answered. All of his brothers were with him, he had no choice but to call Lyla. "Hey Ope…" she said friendly but with a twinge of guilt.

"Hey…I am sorry to ask but I am almost to Glendale, and the kids ride did not pick them up. Could you go get them? They are at the playground at Kenny's school…" he paused, he hated that he had to do this "I will be home soon to get them…I just need to figure out why there ride wasn't there."

"Of course I will go get them, I have felt bad about leaving them and not saying goodbye…" she said "Maybe when you pick them up we could talk?"

He knew his next move was assholish but he was limited on options "That sounds good…let me figure out what is going on, then we can…" he paused "talk."

"Okay, Ope…I will bring them back to my apartment in Lodi." She said flirting.

"See you soon." He said and hung up. "Kendal is going to kick my ass…" he lamented before waving at Jax who was coming out of the bathroom "I gotta go…Kendal did not pick up the kids and I can reach her…"

Jax tilted his head "Didn't you say you had a fight? Is she ignoring you?"

"Me, maybe…but never the kids, something's up…" he said looking worried "Tig?!" he yelled across the parking lot.

Tig was flirting with some young girls who were staring at his bike when he heard his name, he looked over to see it was Ope who called him, and went to see what was going on. "What's up?"

"Have you heard from Kendal?"

Tig took out his phone and checked "I got a text about 20 minutes after we left…" he read it aloud "I love you get your ass back home safe and while your at it bring that guy that lives here back with you.." he chuckled "Nothing since then, why what's going on?"

Ope checked his phone and saw a text from her too:

_'I forgot to say I love you!'__  
_

_'Your old lady is clinging bitch you should look into fixing that... if I had a girl like that I would fuck her in her cunt mouth...'_

'_after going down on her…'_

_'Seriously though, I love you Ope. Come home soon!'_

And one voice mail "Hey you just left...this pregnancy brain is really getting to me…I am forgetting all kinds of stuff. I have a meeting with my OB on Friday, it's going to be the last one before I deflate. I thought you might want to be there...anyways…I love you. Bring your ass back home, in one piece if possible."

Something was definitely not right "Something's wrong…I gotta go." He said as he tossed his bed roll to Chibs.

"I'm coming with you…" Tig said as he handed his roll to Juice.

"We will call once we make the drop and see LaRoy." Jax said "watch your back."

They nodded and sped off, when Jax walked back to his bike Clay was there "What was that about?"

"Kendal is missing, never went and got the kids, they are going to handle it…" Jax said getting back on his bike.

"She's a lot of trouble…" Clay nitpicked.

"Less trouble than anything else we got going on…and the info she's been feeding Ope and me has helped out a lot…" Jax defended her "Ope is going to go take care of his family, you got a problem with that?"

Clay just gritted his teeth and started his bike.

* * *

When Lyla arrived she sauntered up to the playground with Colby who started playing with Kenny instantly. She went and sat on the swing beside Ellie, who had in her headphones and was watching something on her new iTouch.

"Hey Ellie, how have you been?" she spoke gently, not sure how Ellie would take her reappearance, as it was very rocky the last time, and Ellie would say _'we don't need you'_ to her daily.

When Ellie looked up and saw Lyla sitting next to her she flipped out "What are you doing here!?" she screamed putting her things away.

"Your dad said, Piney had not come to get you and asked me to come…" Lyla asked taken aback by Ellie's behavior, they had had their differences but she had never yelled at her.

"You're going to RUIN everything!" Ellie continued to shout. "GO AWAY!"

Lyla stood up and took a firm stance "Look here young lady, I will not have you yell at me like that."

"Go back to wherever you came from and just leave me alone! Come on Kenny!" Ellie said before she broke out in a run, she ran as fast as she could even when she knew her brother wasn't following, she took side streets and cut through peoples yards so Lyla could not follow her in the car.

Ellie started to hear sirens the closer she got to home, when she turned the corner she saw the flashing lights of police cars and ambulance was pulling away. She ran faster to her house...Kendal's house.

Ellie ran right through the crime scene tape and dodged hands trying to grab her, she was screaming for Kendal, though she could not see her. Two police officers finally caught her and tried to hold her back but she wiggled through and made it to the door to see blood everywhere and she screamed and fell to the ground crying.

An officer picked her up and carried her out of the crime scene and sat her on the trunk of his car, telling her to breath and to calm down, that everything was going to be alright. She was just about calmed down when Lyla drove up and Kenny ran forward and started to cry looking at his home.

Lyla ran forward and hugged him, "it's okay, lets go home…" she said and reached out to a still snifflely Ellie.

"This is our home!" Ellie yelled at her replacing her grief for rage "I don't want you! I want Kendal!" she spat she turned to the officer "She is not my mom! I don't want to go with her…" she said as she got down and took Kenny from her.

"Ellie, I thought we had been through this…" Lyla looked at the police officer "I am sorry about them, I am their stepmom…"

"Do they live here?" he asked in a curious tone.

"No they live down the street, their father called me to come and get them when their grandfather did not pick them up, we have been separated for a few months." She explained.

"We do too live here!" Ellie protested.

"Ellie we do not lie to the police!" Lyla finally but some bass in her voice.

Another officer approached and whispered something in the officers ear "I don't think their the ones lying ma'am." He said placing himself between Lyla and the kids, and as he did the other officer took the kids away "we are going to take them to the station, and this can get all worked out there."

When Opie was forced to stop for gas again he checked his phone to find 2 voice mails, and 2 text.

Both texts were from Lyla:

_'The kids live w/ Kay now, wtf?'  
' police station, come home asap'_

The first voice mail was from his daughter and it made his heart stop she was crying and he could hear Kenny in the background crying too "Daddy?! where are you? I think Kendal is…d..d…dead...there was so much...bl…blood..." she bawled "no...no no no one will tell us anything..." she sniffled "We are in a police car...Daddy please come and get us."

The next was from the San Jaquin sheriffs department:

"Mr. Winston, we are calling you to let you know there was an attack at the residence of Ms. Kendal Devlin, where we understand your children have been staying. They are now in our custody. Please call us back as soon as possible. Our number is…."

Ope had lost all of his color, he stopped breathing it wasn't until Tig hit him hard on the back that he spoke but it was more auto-pilot than anything. "Kendal…she may be dead. The police have my kids."

"What?!" Tig had time to reply before Opie was already speeding off.

Opie arrived at the police station first. He swarmed in ignoring Lyla and Colby who sat on a bench outside in the make shift lobby, and did not answer the officers asking him what he needed. He barged into the Sheriffs office and demanded "What happened! Where are my kids?!"" two police officers were at his side about to try to take him down.

"Mr. Winston, why don't you sit down, calm down, and we can talk about this..." he said firmly.

"Cut the bullshit, tell me what happened to her..." Opie said and his voice cracked.

"Now how did you know she was the one attacked?" the sheriff said with a hint of accusation in his voice.

Opie took one step and slammed down his hands on the sheriff's desk and leaned across and was in the Sherriff's face when he yelled "WHAT HAPPENED TO KENDAL?!"

"Officers I do not like Mr. Winston's tone, would you say he is threatening an officer of the law?" the Sherriff called to the officers still at the door.

"I think so." said the deputy leaning against the door jamb, holding Lyla at bay.

"FUCK!" Opie erupted and sat down seething he took a second to get his anger in check before he was able to speak again "Please tell me what happened to her, she is my girlfriend, and she is pregnant with my child...be a decent fucking human being and let me know what happened..."

Before the sheriff could speak another enraged biker slammed in the doors and yelled "What fucking happened to Kay?" Tig was at the door to the sherriff's office within seconds and looked from Opie who looked brow beaten, Lyla who was almost in tears , then to the Sheriff who looked like a chess match was being played in his head. "What happened?"

"Mr. Trager, what do you have to do with Ms. Devlin?" he asked with and arched brow.

"She is my sister..." he said softly "what has happened to my baby sister?"

"There was no record of you being her brother..." the Sheriff looked at him questionably, "and no connecting evidence to Opie being the father…"

"We just met last year, what the hell do you want man, a blood test...?" Tig threw out his forearm "fucking take it man, just tell me what the fuck is going on why my sister?"

The Sheriff gave him a once over before nodding his head slightly "I have questions for you both, and for your children Opie…they have refused to speak to any one until you got here." He said "Then we will go over to the hospital and run some test on both of you. Then and only then can we or the Hospital release any information on Ms. Devlin's condition."

Opie's face changed from placated rage and despair to hope in a second "Hospital?" he asked barely able to speak "she's not..." he swallowed hard "she's..."

The Sherriff continued to speak but Opie was not hearing anything at the moment because his heart was beating almost out of his chest and he thought he could feel the blood in his veins. "Mr. Winston! Opie!" the Sherriff yelled at him and his world came back into focus "They are going to need to speak to you about the baby, as well."

It was another hour before two officers escorted them to St. Thomas. They questioned Opie first then his kids, then Opie and even Lyla. The questioned seem superfluous to Ope and Tig. They asked what here schedule was, where she went, how she got there, they asked about each of their relationships with her and with Tig asked why there was no documentation. The questions they asked the kids under Opie's watch were also seemingly silly.

Opie felt like the Sherriff was purposely wasting time, so he was annoyed with all the questions but answered them truthfully the on questioned that pissed him off the most came after series of questions about Kendal's past that he did not know or could not say the sheriff replied "You sure she is your girlfriend? You don't seem to know anything about her…seems like she is just your babysitter that you knocked up."

Opie scowled because this was one of the many things Kendal said early in their relationship to push him away "I don't have to know her past to love her for who she is…"

After that he was no longer minutely cooperative.


	22. Waiting

**Waiting...**

Kendal was beaten and had some defensive wounds as well, most of the abuse was to her abdomen area, which is why an emergency cesarean was done once she was brought to the hospital. After the cesarean they were able to remove most of the growth inside her uterus, however, it had hemorrhaged and there was bile leaking into her body. The doctors took immediate action to prevent sepsis (blood poisoning) and as they were working on her Kendal had a grand mal seizure.

Later in recovery Kendal's pulse sky rocketed and her blood pressure dropped, despite their efforts it seemed that some of the bile had gotten into her blood stream and her body was now facing two problems postpartum eclampsia and sepsis. Results from further testing led to decision to sedate her and to go back in to her abdomen to remove all the growth and if needed perform an emergency hysterectomy.

After jumping through a few hoops, cutting through a lot of red tape, and with some help from Dr. Knowles (who was no longer in surgery) the hospital was finally able to share some information with Tig on Kendal, (Opie's test were still pending). He gave annoyed agreement to disclaimers so that the hospital would share information with Opie and he equally.

This is when they found out that Kendal was still in surgery, and she had have a hysterectomy. Before they had time to adjust to the news a nurse came in and handed Opie the positive paternity test and congratulated him…this nurse was not in the loop on congratulations not being on the menu today.

Opie yelled "What the fuck did you just say to me!?"

He shrieked and ran away as Opie began to seethe. Tara told them they needed to get to the NICU unit to make decisions on the care of the baby. Both men looked shredded and terrified as they went down to the maternity ward. A doctor came to meet them and introduced himself as Dr. Steven Tsai, Tara explained that he was the best and that the baby was in good hands.

Kendal's baby was doing well considering she was only 36 weeks. She needed a respirator, until she was breathing on her own, and because of her premature birth she needed to be incubated and monitored closely. The doctor asked them for the baby's name and both Tig & Opie shook their heads, Opie finally answered "Kay wanted to name her after she met her…"

"Of course," the doctor answered and shook their hands "Would you like to go and hold your daughter Mr. Winston?"

Opie looked like someone had just doused him with cold water, "No I think I am going to go wait for Kendal to wake up…" he said stepping back.

"Mr. Trager would you like to hold your niece?" the doctor did not question the fathers hesitation, many people are afraid to hold premature babies for fear of breaking them, he thought that was Opie's issue, not knowing it was deeper. Opie felt like holding the baby before Kendal did was some sort of betrayal on his part.

Tig looked at Opie who did not show any protest, so he said "Please?"

The doctor showed Tig to the back and had him wash up and get in hospital wear from head to toe, he went into the air tight room and a nurse guided him over to the incubator. His eyes were big and he hand tears clinging to the side of his eyes, and when he reached in and placed his hand on her back gently touching her for the first time he wept. "She's so small…" he said looking at one of the nurses who patted his shoulder.

"Small and tough, that ones a fighter." She smiled at him. "You should talk to her."

"Talk?" he said using his shoulder to wipe away some tears "she can't understand me…"

"No, but it soothes her, she will get to know your voice," the nurse explained "it will be good for her. In half an hour she is set for her next feeding, she is developed enough to not need feeding tubes, you should stay and feed her." She rubbed his back and looked at him assuredly. "Imagine a big bad biker like you, just a gentle giant."

Tig stayed there for the next few hours, he talked to the baby calling her 'Dee', fed her, changed her little diaper, held her for a long time and with some encouragement laid her on his chest so she could hear his heart beat. Tig had never felt more important to anyone, not even his own kids, who he loved, but they never needed him, like this baby girl did.

Opie left after watching Tig with the baby for a little while, he wanted to get back up to Kendal as soon as he could. He went downstairs and waited for word, it was an hour before they said she was out of the recovery room and he could go back. She was still heavily sedated and would be unresponsive but he could see her.

When he walked in the room she was surrounded by several machines and monitors, her face had a few bruises, and her arms had bandages covering wounds, she looked harmless and helpless and Opie did not like it. He knew that Kendal would hate this feeling, but there was nothing he could do to help her…he went to her bedside got on his knees and prayed for the first time in a very long time.

Opie took her hand in his kissing it and said aloud, "Just let her be okay…" to whatever powers would listen to him "I will do anything, if you bring her back to me." time passed and he didn't move, he just knelt there holding her hand begging unknown deities for Kendal to be okay sometimes aloud sometimes in his head. When he eventually got up he pulled the chair next to the bed and held her hand again.

He was in a far off land of thought staring blankly at the curtain patrician when Kendal squeezed his hand and said "Hey, baby…"

Opie's head snapped to the side and he was crying looking into her open and focused eyes. "Babe?" he got up and closed the space between them, laying kisses on her forehead and cheeks "You had me worried …I love you so much baby…"

Kendal sighed contently and said "Babe its okay. How is Chase?"

Opie backed up slightly to look at her "Chase?"

She kissed the tip of his nose "Our baby…Dylan Chase Trager Winston…"

"No Devlin?" he arched his eyebrows and tilted his head.

"Just a fake name my dad gave me when I was 6, I was born a Trager, well Villanueva Trager, that's why I speak Spanish so well…" she smiled and kissed his cheeks "How is she?"

"Good, she is doing good…" he said clinging to Kendal "When I left Tig was about to feed her," he said "she is on a ventilator, but the doctor said she is a fighter, and will be okay."

Kendal radiated joy, she had a big smile and was so happy she sighed "I can't wait to meet her…" Opie hugged her and they held each other for a long while.

Then suddenly she seemed to freeze and go rigid, she twitched and it sounded like she was choking Opie let her go and placed her back on the bed "Kendal? Babe?" when she did not respond he spoke louder "Kay this isn't funny…baby? baby?" he pleaded. She still did not respond but it looked like her whole body was tense and her eyes were crying for him to help.

He ran for the curtain and yelled "HELP!" three nurses rushed over and began to aid Kendal, including the one Ope had yelled at earlier. They were talking to each other and one nurse demanded that the other go page the doctor because he wanted to know immediately if the patient seized again.

Opie had never seen a full grand mal seizure and he watched in horror as Kendal's uncontrollably tensed and flailed. The nurses put something in her mouth and roll her to the side one patted her back and was trying to be soothing, telling Kendal, "Its okay dear it will all be over soon…"

The other looked at Opie and asked "How long did it take to hit her?"

"I…I don't know, fast, she woke up less than 5 minutes ago, and we talked and then she just went…" Opie was having a hard time explaining what had happened and the nurse nodded at him.

"It's okay, you need to go to the waiting room, we will come and get you soon." She said in a gentle but demanding voice and he listened without question.

Ope had been waiting for what seemed like hours, when a doctor came out and sat beside him "Mr. Winston?" Opie looked at him not daring to speak and nodded.

"I have some bad news," he started slowly, Opie looked at him with pleading eyes but he continued "with eclampsia sometimes the seizures can lead to organ failure and can cause temporary commas, that is what we believe is happening with Ms. Devlin."

"What can I do?" Opie said desperate to help with anything.

"Unfortunately, we have to wait, if her kidneys do not react to our treatment we might seek a donor, but for now we wait…" he said and gave him a pat on the shoulder and left.

Opie sat completely desolate of thought, and overflowing with raw emotions, he stood up screamed and punched the wall over and over again until it had a hole in it and his knuckles bled. Tara and Jax came in and watched Opie release his anger and fear for a second, when they saw the blood on the wall and dripping down his hand Jax rushed forward "Ope!" he yelled as he grabbed Opie's arm and pulled him away from the wall.

Tara was looking at him and she had tears in her eyes Opie had experienced so much and to see him act out was unsettling. He had tears running down his face and blood dripping from his hands, he was still quaking with emotions. Tara asked softly "What happened?"

* * *

Tig had spent all day in the NICU ward, every time he would ready himself to go the baby would yawn, or grab on to his finger, or it was time to feed her again. He just couldn't bring himself to leave her, she was so helpless, and beautiful.

A nurse came to him and said it was okay for him to leave, and he said he was fine and kept rocking in the chair with his hand in the incubator and the baby holding on to his index finger. He did not feel sad, tired, helpless or any of the things he did when he came in. He felt like he was making a difference.

He didn't have much to say that was baby appropriate so he took his life stories and told them as fairy tales. He called SAMCRO 'Knights of the Square Table', he called the IRA the 'Stolen Kings', he called his ex-wife the 'evil witch', his daughters the 'Princesses of yore', and he referred to himself as the 'Lone Knight'.

It was midnight when a nurse approached him again "Tig?" she called quietly. He looked over his shoulder and saw her approach him, she put her hand on his shoulder "visiting hours were over a while ago, I told the other nurses to leave you alone and I would watch you…" she smiled at him "but it's the end of my shift, so they are going to ask you to leave now." He took his hand out of the incubator and looked at her wounded "Come on I will buy you a cup of coffee…"

Tig slowly got up and followed her out of the nursery, when he got into the hallway he slipped off all of his hospital paper wardrobe and slid back into his own. "You don't have to buy me coffee, honey…I can just go."

She shook her head at him "Can I be honest with you?" she said sliding off her own hospital wear.

"Yeah…" he said looking at her oddly.

"It was a rouse…I want a cup of coffee and I left my wallet at home, you seem like the kind of guy that would pay even though I offered…" she laughed "I am back on tomorrow at 10, I assume you will be back too?"

Tig was mesmerized by her, he hadn't been able to look at her fully in the nursery because she had on the paper robe, skull-cap, face mask, and all that other stuff. This woman was magnificent, she wasn't wearing any make up, she had taken her hair out of a tight bun to reveal an ocean of red hair and even in her scrubs Tig was delighted in the curves he saw. He let his guilt override his libido though "let me buy you that cup of coffee…"

"Its alright, I am going to go home and get some sleep…" she smiled at him "Don't tell too many stories while I am gone, I want to find out what happens to the Lone Knight…trouble keeps finding him…"

Was Tig imagining it, or was this girl flirting with him, it had been so long since a non-sweetbutt or more promiscuous girl had flirted with him he wasn't too clear on the details. "yeah…okay." He said sort of dazed, as he watched her walk away, _she's not walking like she was flirting_ he thought. "Hey what's your name?"

"Beth," she said waving but not turning around "See you tomorrow."

Tig headed upstairs to the ICU where he saw Opie, Jax, and Tara sitting looking exhausted and worn. "What I miss?"


	23. The world is not stopping

_Sorry a lot of my edits did not save...nothing really new in this chapter if you already read it... I am sorry about the quality of it if you did._

**The world is not stopping….**

SAMCRO had made it back from their run sooner than anyone expected, since they no longer needed to go to Mexico, and after Ope left Jax called the president of the Tucson chapter and had them meet them at the California-Arizona border.

When they got back to Charming Jax insisted that the club and everyone's family went on lock down until they found out what had happened with Kendal. He wanted to know if it was some Lobo retaliation or something else altogether. They all agreed and scattered temporarily to gather everyone with exception to Clay & Gemma who went home with some prospect guards and Jax who went to the hospital.

It was late when a light blue VW Beatle pulled up to the Teller-Morrow compound, one of the men at the gate smiled and waved it in. "Lucy, we haven't seen you around in a while…" he called to her open window as she drove to the back. Lucy parked got out looking back at the street making sure that the officers parked on the street could not see her car, then she opened her passenger side door and a girl who was hidden in the backseat got out and hurried to the club house.

She walked in and looked around desperately. "Luc," called Chibs from the bar "Who did you bring with you lass?"

The girl who came with Lucy looked determined as she walked over to him, "I need to speak with Trager…"

Chibs face got serious quickly "Lucy who the hell is this?"

Lucy had followed her over "This is my cousin Melissa, she works at the police station," Lucy explained "she said she needed to talk to Tig about Kendal."

"Am I to believe that, love?" Chibs questioned.

"I don't care what you believe, Filip" she looked at him squarely. "Kay has helped me and I know Eli hasn't been honest with Tig about what happened to her…" she said stiffly "I am not interested in your club bullshit, I just don't think it's right for him not to know."

"Do I know you?" he said looking at her searchingly.

"No you don't know me…" she said with a little too much sass "Where is Tig?"

"He is still at the hospital, enlighten _me_, sweetheart." Chibs said looking her up and down trying to gage her sincerity.

"Tig only." She retorted.

"Come with me…" he said grabbing her arm gently and taking her to the back.

Melissa followed though she was scared, she had been to this club only once before years ago; Lucy had brought her to a party here and she had met Chibs that night, matter of factly, they had gotten rather friendly in the same hallway he was leading her to now. She was young and had just broken up with her boyfriend and was out for a good time and a bad boy, Chibs was all that and accent.

Lucy had traipsed around from guys to guy talking and flaunting herself while Melissa sat and laughed at the boys hitting on her and her cousin, that night…Then Chibs came up to her and within 5 words she was hooked. They were making out and for the first time she felt like she was with a real man not a boy pretending to be a bad ass. Chibs made her knees wobbly and when he kissed her it made something feral come out of her; her shirt was up over her bra and her skirt was more like a belt, she was talking dirty to him and then he called her Fiona. She stopped immediately and left in tears and never came back.

Tonight though, Melissa came with purpose and was not going to let a hurt ego from years ago and a man whose accent made her feel like a teenage girl again distract her. Once they were in the back he banged on the apartment door and when no one answered he opened the door for her and waited for her to enter. When she did she froze looking at the bed.

"Don't worry love, I didn't come here to take the stick out of your arse…" Chibs said playfully. He closed the door behind him sat on the bed and said "you need to prove you're not wearing a wire."

"What?!"

"A woman who works at the police station, comes in here saying she has information about a problem we have…little too good to be true." He said "you need to prove you are not wearing a wire, then I will pass your message along to Tig. He's not leaving the hospital."

"This is fucking ridiculous!" She said unbuttoning her blouse, "this is the reason that no one in this town likes you assholes anymore." She opened up her shirt and slid it down to her elbows and turned around in a circle. "Are you happy?!" she said sniffing tears of mortification, she slid her shirt back on and buttoned it. "You tell Tig it was one guy and Kay stabbed him…a lot but he is still alive. They have him in protective custody on another floor at St. Thomas…and tell Kay that I will take Kenny to and from basketball the next week with James because I know she won't be able to."

Chibs eyebrows scrunched together "I know you…"

"Fuck you." She said as she made her way back out to the party and grabbed Lucy "Get me out of here…"

"They are on lock down, no outs until they get an all clear." Lucy said looking at her tears "What happened?"

Melissa went and sat in the car, not explaining anything just wanting to get as far away as she could. Chibs came out and opened the door about an hour later "I'm sorry…I had to do that. I called Tig, he knows." she just nodded. "I'm also sorry about…"

Melissa gave him a level look that backed him up a step and she closed the door. Lucy came out less than 10 minutes later and said they could go. Melissa crawled into the back seat, laid down where she could not be seen and they were off.

* * *

Tig was sitting with Opie, Jax, & Tara when his phone rang he answered it and listened to what Chibs was saying he said thank you and hung up. "I'll kill the mother fucker." the other three looked at him confused.

"Ope do you know a Melissa? Works at the police station…" Tig asked.

"No." Ope said plainly.

"Kenny know a kid named James?" Tig continued

"I think so…in his grade, I think Kendal said that name during football season…" Ope said looking more confused.

One of Kendal's many doctors came out before Tig was able to relay everything "It's late, you should go home and get some rest, she is doing better, just not awake yet."

"Can I stay with her?" Opie said.

"There is nowhere to sleep…" the doctor started to protest.

"I'll just sit with her, I'll be fine." Opie said looking frightfully determined.

"Of course," the doctor agreed and waited for Ope to say goodbye to everyone else and then showed him to the back.

He resumed his post sitting at her bedside holding her restrained hand and praying this time even harder, and with the addendum, let her stay with me. Somewhere in the night Opie had fallen asleep, he stirred when he heard movement on the bed, much to his dismay it was just another doctor by her side, holding her hand. It took him a second to really wake up and consider that action to be odd.

When he looked closer, the man did not look like a doctor at all, even in the white jacket and scrubs. He was a large 50 something black man who looked like he was chiseled out of hard times and violence.

He looked at Opie and asked "Are you the father of her baby?"

"Yes, sir" Opie was not sure why but he felt this man deserved his instant respect.

"How is she?" the stranger asked.

"Better. They are hoping she will wake up soon, she's on a lot of antibiotics right now…" Opie started automatically.

The man looked at him with pity in his eyes "The baby?"

"Oh, she is good…she will be off the respirator by the end of the week." Opie answered "who are you?"

"Just a concerned friend..." He said sweeping some hair off of Kendal's forehead and kissing it slightly and walking to the opening in the curtain "She always liked the name Chase, said it would be funny to have a toddler named that, because that is all you do with one…" he smiled reminiscently "did she kill him?"

"Who?" Opie asked confused.

The man sighed and said "If she didn't don't worry, he will never leave this town alive. Take care of her and that baby." and he was gone.

Opie stalked outside the curtain and down the hall looking for the man who had been there seconds ago. He was nowhere to be found and when Opie asked the nurses no one remembered seeing him. Opie went to the waiting room, and asked a nurse walking by "Did you just see a big guy come through here?"

"No just the janitor…" she answered "Is there something wrong?"

"No…" he said and went back to his spot next to Kendal.

When Opie got back he noticed something lying by Kendal's head where the man had stood, he went to investigate and found three pictures. One was of a girl, Opie assumed was Kendal because of her smile, her eyes, and her out of control hair. She was next to two rough-looking men, the one Opie thought was her dad looked very similar to Tig (if he had high & tight grey hair and a few more scars), the other Opie was sure was the younger version of the man who just left. Her father had a hand on her head rustling her hair and she was beaming up at the man who had just left. The second photo was a picture of a beautiful woman holding a small baby girl back in 1985. The last was another picture of Kendal as a little girl she was absolutely beaming holding a semi-automatic assault rifle, with a target behind her with a very tight clump of bullets around the head & heart, there was a big rough black hand giving a thumbs up in the photo as well.

Opie put them back as they were and went back to his post at her side, he thought over what the man had said, over and over again…if this was a man from Kendal's past that clearly meant Bobby…_didn't it?_

* * *

Tig was there early the next morning which surprised everyone, especially Tara because he dropped by her office on the way to the NICU ward. "Hey doc," he said knocking on her slightly a skewed door.

"Tig?!" she said getting out of her chair to come and meet him. "I didn't even know you owned an alarm clock?" she giggled "Visiting hours are not for another hour or so, what brings you here this early?"

"I had a favor to ask doc," he said and waited for her to agree but she stayed silent and gave the international eye and hand gesture for _go on_… "Something Chibs heard last night got me to thinking,"

"That can't be good…" she jibed playfully

He gave a polite smile but continued undeterred "Maybe the cops are not telling us what happened because they know we would do something about it…" he said.

"That would make since…" she said looking him up and down "still haven't heard a favor yet…"

"Well if there is something to be done that means there is someone to do it too, someone not in custody yet, someone who fought Kendal…" he continued hoping she would get to the favor without him asking.

Tara started to nod "Someone here, in the hospital…" Tara was torn on one hand she wanted to help Tig & Ope, and Kendal by finding the person and letting Tig do his thing…on the other hand it would connect her to it all, and that is something she did not need. "I do not have access to all admission records…" she said feeling miserable.

"Don't need records, doc, just information, where is this hospital would they put someone like that?" he asked.

Tara thought of Kendal lying unconscious, and she thought of the baby Chase lying in the NICU ward who had never even met her mother, and she thought of Opie holding on to the last strings of sanity he had and she felt there was no argument she could give Tig. "Depending on how bad he was he would be in the same ward as Kendal, but we would have seen the cops…they could have kept him in the ER, keep him away from Kay and her visitors, cops wouldn't be alarming…" she answered "hiding in plain sight kind of thing." she thought for a moment and continued "Tig, you can't just go down there and kill him…there are people everywhere and like I said we have police down there all the time…"

"Don't worry about that part, I will figure all of that out…" he said looking at the sign on the wall with arrows to parts of the hospital including the ER.

"Tig!" Tara pulled his arm to get his attention "If you do something stupid, and you wind up in jail, Kay will KILL you when she wakes up…" Tara then thought of him yesterday with the baby "…and who is going to take care of Chase? Ope still won't go in there right now…she needs you, preemie babies, need nurturing and warmth, at least wait until she is out of the incubator…" she used guilt to sway him and by the look on his face it had worked, however, just in case she spent the few minutes telling him about research on preemie development through interaction and the security they feel when someone holds them.

Tig was won over by '_she needs you_' but the rest just racked him with more guilt to even had considered doing something other than caring for her until Kay woke up "You're right…" he said helplessly.

"And don't tell Ope, he'd go down there, kill the guy, and get arrested," Tara sighed and shook his head "...he feels this is his fault."

"What?!" Tig scoffed "How?"

Tara ticked off the things she heard Opie confide to Jax the night before and hearing it again made her insides churn, having someone hurt that much and not being able to help them nauseated her, she wanted to give Opie hope, she wanted to have hope, but she had looked at the tests and the doctors notes and so far it wasn't looking good. "He should have been there, she would have kicked ass if she wasn't pregnant, she was going to get his kids…" she sighed "he's cursed to have the women he loves torn from him…just about everything one could warp into to make someone elses pain their own." Tara said sadly "He would trade places with her in a second, he would die so she could live, he…he would avenge her just so he didn't have to look at Kendal and feel helpless and hopeless."

"I understand that." Tig said gulping down his own sorrows.

"This situation is just so…" she took a deep breath trying to find the right words "fucked up," she said exhaling "I just wished there was something I could do…"

"We all do," Tig choked "I am going to take Opie some coffee and then go see Dee."

"I will check on you both a little later." Tara said going back into her office.

Tig checked on Opie & Kendal, when he spoke with Opie he noticed the pictures , Opie then told him about the strange encounter last night. Tig did not say anything about the weird question the man asked Ope, but it did confirm his theory that who ever did this to her (his money was on Bobby) was still alive and somewhere in the hospital. It sickened Tig that he could not just go take care of it right then and there. He begrudgingly left Opie and went to the NICU ward.

All of his regret and negative feelings in general went away once baby Chase was in his hands, he still called her Dee though. True to his word he did not tell more Lone Knight and the Knights of the Square table stories until Beth got there.

Tig held back on his instincts, he did not flirt with her. He was polite, asked her a question here and there about Dee, but other than that he acted like a perfect gentleman. Sometime around lunch he left and brought her coffee before going back in. She looked at him in the strangest way, she smiled and thanked him but Tig could have sworn there was more behind it.

* * *

Lyla came by that afternoon before she picked up the kids from school. Ellie was still being as hard-headed and petulant as ever, Lyla had watched them purely out of courtesy the night before but she had some questions for Opie.

She walked to the ICU and heard her husband behind the curtain speaking desperately. "Baby, please, wake up, yell at me, tell me this is my fault. Tell me that I am shit…anything, just wake up." He pleaded, and then as if in the middle of another conversation he continued "I think this summer, we should send the kids to camp, so we can get some time to ourselves, of course we will still have the baby…

Lyla felt like a tire iron had been jammed into her heart, she had just rebuilt her heart from the last time she saw Opie, and there he was a thin piece of fabric away. He was clearly in love with another woman who could die and more heartbroken up about her than he ever was about their marriage. The worst part was she liked the woman; Kendal saved her from a gun wielding Ima, she let her take the kids to her pool, she was kind, smart, and in Lyla's opinion a _home wrecking bitch_.

She assertively strode forward and swung the curtain open interrupting Opie talking about Girls Rock camp. "Hello, Opie."

Opie looked over eyes wide "Lyla?"

"I was on my way to pick up _your_ kids and I just need you to know…when, Ope?" she said with a hurt in her voice.

"When what?" he said tired and confused.

"When did you start fucking her? When were you going to tell me you knocked up another girl? When were you going to tell me that our marriage meant nothing? Were you fucking her the whole time? While I was watching _your_ god damn kids where fucking the girl down the god damn street?" she spat.

Opie was too tired to be angry or to lie, "She refused to be my girl on the side." he started and his voice cracked, "Before you came back we dated…" he said and got choked up when he heard Kendal's voice in the back of his head saying '_we fucked we didn't date_'.

"When you came back she refused to continue seeing me, I did not find out she was pregnant until after Ima." He said and cleared his throat again hearing Kendal say _'Ima-fucking-whore'_. "We didn't start to see each other again until about 4 months ago…" he sighed "Lyla, I never meant to…"

"Save it…" she said and he could see her tears "Just save it Opie…I will keep the kids tonight and I will drop them at school tomorrow. That's it Ope."

He did not know what else to say so he just thanked her and sat back down and watched Kendal.


	24. Rewind

**Rewind**

Kendal had just sent a series of playful texts to Opie, she still did not feel like apologizing because…well she did not feel like she had anything to apologize for, except maybe not telling him she loved him and to come home, as she did every time he left, no matter how he tried to convince her it was safe; she always was anxious about him coming back in one piece. Kendal finally gave in to her more vulnerable side and texted:

_'Seriously though, I love you Ope. Come home soon!'_

"And send" she said to herself, and exhaled relief.

Kendal silently lamented about having to get up to go get the kids. She loved them and never minded doing anything for them, but at 8 months pregnant, her want for getting up and going anywhere was getting slimmer. If only she could transport herself to and fro on her wonderfully cozy couch.

Kendal laughed at her absurd thoughts of couch teleportation and imagined what her father would say about this lazy, forgetful attitude she had developed lately. In her mind she protested with him saying it was exhaustion and not laziness, but her marine sergeant was having none of it so she got up and did a few chores around the house before heading out.

Right before she left she called Anthony's Pizza and ordered for pick up. She went to the door and turned the knob, then remembered her iPad; Kenny was always a better passenger while entertained. She turned and grabbed it off the charger in the kitchen and headed back to the door.

"Hey doll, did you miss me?"

Kendal's heart stopped as she looked up from her bag and saw Bobby Jr. standing inside her home. Her first reaction of fight or flight was _FLIGHT!_! But her logic and father's voice screamed, _you cannot run from this man! You are not as fast as you used to be, he will catch you, he will fuck you, and he will kill you._

Somewhere in there her heart started beating again and her brain flickered back on as well. "I'll give you 10 seconds to get out of here before I fucking end you." She said with a calm disturbing anger.

"Babe, this is me…" he said taking another step inside and closing the door behind him "you can't lie to me, I know you." He smiled and followed her as she took slow steps backwards towards the kitchen. "No matter how tough you talk, you're still my angel, my good little girl playing with the bad bad boys, and you ain't gonna end shit." He lost sight of her for just a moment as she turned the corner to the kitchen.

The second Kendal knew she was out of eyesight she got her phone out dialed 911 and hid her phone behind the cookie jar, if anything she would record her own murder. She would like to see Bobby Jr., or Senior for that matter, get away with a 911 recorded call. However, that was back-up plan number 4. Her brain had been in overdrive since she heard his voice and she had 3 plans to burn through before that one. She grabbed three knives, the first was a tiny one she wrapped in her skirt waste band, the other two she made a purposeful clattering with, so when he slowly came around the corner knowing he had her trapped that is all he would see.

Kendal stated clearly and loudly for the operator and recording "Get out of my home or I will defend myself."

He smirked "Baby doll, you're not going to do anything, we know how this is ending…" he paused sizing her up "You are fatter than I like you to be, but once I carve that parasite out, you will be fine. Babe, you can make this easy…" he genuinely smiled. "I take that out of you, and wait for your lover boys other white trash kids to get home, make you watch as I put my dick into something he loves…" he said but felt the need to clarify "You know fucking little girls is not my thing, but he fucked my girl, I'll fuck his, take you back home, and we will call it even. Or…" and his grin turned evil "I can beat the shit out of you, let you watch as I fuck the girl, kill the boy, THEN give you a little coat hanger action, cut you open, scalp you, and leave you here…see if anyone gives a fuck about you then…"

"Well babe, why don't you try me…" she said and artfully spun the chef knife in her hand "not as good as daddy, but I am still a fuck load better than your sorry ass."

"Knives? Really? If you had a gun I could see the possibility of you hurting me, but knives…babe please, you got to get close to use those…" he laughed smugly, until the second knife Kendal was holding flew at him and grazed his arm drawing blood. "What the fuck Ken?"

"I did warn you…" she laughed as she grabbed the set of steak knives right by her and began throwing then forcefully, trying for precise. He held up his hands to cover his face before charging her.

She was able to get 3 good hits with the steak knives but none were able to stick in him, when he ran at her with limited eyesight she braced herself and switched her chef knife to her right left hand and with surprisingly quick movement was able to move to the side and still slice into his abdomen.

Kendal walked backwards into the living room never taking her eyes from Bobby until she absolutely had to turning the corner, she checked the living room quickly to make sure there was no one else and when she turned back to him he had all but closed the distance and was lunging at her wildly.

She used his strength and weight against him, she was ready to dodge but saw him change his position preparing for her to slip out-of-the-way and for him to catch her, instead she pivoted to the side and anchored herself for the hit. It hurt, but he was not expecting it; she knocked him off-balance and was able to slide from him as he went down face first.

Kendal used this to stab him in the back…literally. She was able to get the knife into his kidney before he rolled over to grab her. He pressed the knife deeper into him screaming out in pain but his strong arms grabbed Kendal's legs and he pulled her to the ground. She fell onto her stomach making her body and her soul have a panic attack.

He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her back closer to him and then under him. "Kitty did get claws while I was away…" he laughed manically slapping her around and pinning her down and pulling the knife out of his back, blood spraying everywhere. "Oh, you got me feeling all light-headed babe…" he said swaying "he put his hands on her rounded belly to steady himself. "I don't like seeing you like this…" he said before punching her in the stomach.

Kendal was fighting to get free, trying to use his 'light headedness' to throw off his balance, but he used his weight to keep her mostly still as he landed another hard blow to her stomach. She was able to wiggle free a hand using his dripping blood and as lubricant. She unraveled the small knife in her waist band and buried the knife deep in Bobby's liver.

He fell backwards trying to claw out the baby knife but Kendal was able to get out from underneath him and grab the chef knife that had fallen to the floor. It was slick with his blood but she held it firmly and sliced into him. First she did his shoulder tendons rendering his arms mostly useless. Then she slice the top of the knee making his legs less than useful.

He fell to the ground screaming as he attempted to grab her, Kendal did not run, she felt liquid running down her legs and felt giant pains in her abdomen, but that did not stop her from what she did next. Screaming in pain she straddled him and stabbed him again and again crying and silently, desperately, and insanely hoping that by taking his life she was saving her daughters. If she didn't do it today, he would keep coming.

She stabbed him for Kenny, for Ellie, for her baby, for Tig, for Opie, and when he stopped fighting and when the knife became too slippery and her hands slid forward on the blade cutting herself,she fell back kicked away from him, cried, and held her stomach. She heard sirens coming in the background and prayed they were for her.

After that Kendal did not remember much; she had a vague recollection of paramedics talking to her, some ceiling tiles going by, a doctor or nurse talking to her, pain, she couldn't remember where it was but she remember feeling it, then she remembered sleep...but right before or maybe it was part of a dream-she heard a baby cry and her heart sang.

She slept for what seemed like ages, she kept fighting to wake up, but it seemed like every time she did—it was just another dream of being awake. Kendal was lost and felt like her whole body was revolting on her, nothing listened, nothing wanted to work, she just cried "Wake UP!" in every dream, as soon as, she realized it was a dream.

One time waking up seemed so real…she saw Opie sitting by her, she asked about the baby, gave her a name, and then they said I love you's and held each other. Then, she froze again, and her munitious body stole her away from her happiness again. After that dream she went into deeper and darker parts of her subconscious that she often tried to stay out of. But now she could not escape...

Kendal's father was killing a man in front of her while she was breastfeeding a faceless baby, he told her he was proud of her first kill, though it was a little sloppy, then he threw the body over his shoulder and walked away. The person swaying on her dad's shoulders looked at her, smiled, winked, and gave her a thumbs up...this happened again and again and again and the dead but approving body was always one of her friends, Koz, Juice, Jax, Piney, a parent or two from the kids school activities, Gemma and even once Clay, oddly she didn't feel so scared by Clay.

Next, she was running from a monster on a motorcycle with a scythe, SAMCRO members passing her by, Opie reaching for her but to grab his hand she would have to drop her faceless child...she never did.

The longer time got the deeper and darker the dreams got, and she was literally praying in her dreams to awake.

* * *

Kendal was sitting up in a hospital bed screaming her brains out "Wake up! Wake up! Wake Up! FUCK! FUCK! Fuck! Focus! Concentrate damn-it Kendal! Breathe...Now wake up!" and she attempted to slap her face but her hands were restrained.

Three nurses were running to her "Calm down, Ms. Devlin." one demanded.

"It's okay honey" cooed another.

"She's gonna give herself a heart attack!" the third one worried.

They pushed her back down and began to talk to her slowly, calmly, and in a firm but secure tone "Ms. Devlin, you are awake. You are at St. Thomas hospital. It is Tuesday, February 21st, you have been in a coma for over a week. We need you to calm down. We are going to take care of you, we need to tell the doctor you're awake and ask you some questions. Okay?"

Kendal was shaking "Okay..."

"What is your name?"

"Kendal."

"What is your full name?"

"When I was six it was changed to Kendal Leigh Devlin."

"Good. Do you remember what happened to you?"

"When?" Kendal looked at her strangely...a lot _had_ happened to her.

"Before you came to the hospital..."

"I had a fight with Opie...wait, this can't be real, where's Opie? Where's Tig?" she protested "This is not real!" she declared and then stopped struggling and laid there peacefully waiting for the next part of her dream cycle to begin or end or...anything.

"This is real Ms. Devlin, there was an incident a few days ago, your brother and your fiancé have been taken into custody, along with some of their other associates."

"Fiancé? I haven't said yes yet!" she said and laughed at them.

Just then a doctor walked in and came to her bedside, she willingly participated in his assessment and questions because it did not seem this dream was going to end any time soon, and being restrained she was not going to be able to change the plot.

This dream was getting really boring, and was less torturous that the others, when the doctor finished his assessment he asked "Do you still think you are dreaming?"

"I am starting to think this is real…" she said and closed her eyes and opened them again, everything had stayed the same "I want to see my daughter." She said knowing that was the ultimate test.

"I don't think it is wise now…" he started

"Then yes I am still dreaming…and it is a nightmare, only in a nightmare would a doctor keep me strapped to a bed and not let me see my daughter for the first time after apparently almost dyeing and being in a coma for a week…" Kendal cut him off "go ahead, tell me the other things I can not do…" she looked at him squarely.

A red-headed nurse came in, "sorry Doctor, is this Ms, Devlin?"

"Yes. Who are you?" he questioned.

"My name is Beth, I work in the maternity ward, I am good friends with Ms. Devlin's brother and Dr. Knowles who is her friend as well. I had Josephine promise to call me if she had any developments." She explained.

"And…"

"I wanted to see her, and show her this…" she held up a sheet of paper and Kendal could see that it had a photo printed on it, she could see a large man holding a small infant but she could not decipher and details.

"Show it to her." He said and stayed there ready to study her reaction.

Beth walked up to her and showed her the photo, Tig was holding a small baby girl, and she could see her face. It was the most beautiful thing she thought she had ever seen. "Is that my…" she sniffed not being able to finish.

Beth beamed at her "That is your daughter Dylan Chase Trager Winston. Most everyone calls her baby Chase, except for Alex, he calls her Dee. He's been calling her that since before she had a name."

To date Kendal had not remembered a moment of so much happiness. It would be cruelest of nightmares if this was not real.

"Is, she okay?" Kendal was able to choke out of her sobs.

"She is doing great, Alex has been with her almost every day." Beth explained.

A nurse came and helped her clean her tears and nose which was dripping as well. Kendal sniffed her tears, and snot back as much as she could. She looked into Beth's hazel eyes and asked "Am I really awake?"

"Yes, ma'am." She confirmed, "and once the Doctor here says it's okay I will take you right to her."

"Thank you." Kendal said before taking deep breaths and centering herself.

Kendal was the most compliant and helpful patient for the next few hours. When she was left alone to wait for some other medical staff or test she mentally made a list of everything she needed to do once unrestrained. First was seeing her daughter, next was to find out where Kenny & Ellie were retrieve them if possible, and then figure out what the hell was going on with Opie, her brother and all the other missing elements of her puzzle.

When the Sheriff came in before any of that could be accomplished she had a very bad feeling. "Ms. Devlin, I am sheriff Eli Roosevelt, do you remember meeting me before?"

"Yes. Outside of the Teller-Morrow shop, I was getting a ride home, you thought I was beaten by SAMCRO." She summarized quickly "How can I help you sheriff?"

"I want to know what you remember about your attack?" he asked.

"I would like to speak to my lawyer first." She smiled at him.

"We are not charging you, we understand it was self-defense, I just need to know the details we haven't been able to piece together." Eli clarified.

"and I would be more than happy to give you that information after I confer with my legal counsel. Tina Linklater is who you should call." Kendal said.

"Ms. Devlin when you are uncooperative it makes your actions seem suspicious." He said getting a little huffy.

"You say suspicious I say cautious." And she refused to give any more information at all.

* * *

Three hours later Kendal was looking into the window of the Maternity ward. After the restraints were removed from her hands when all of her test came back clean she got up and stumbled to the ward without being seen, mostly because the doctors had let her know she could not leave until they ran more tests. Also because she was damn tired of laying in bed. Her legs were slow to react but they acted right after a few steps.

She rested her head on the cool glass and stared at her baby, who was small but okay. She was breathing on her own, and seemed docile opposed to the screaming babies around her. When the staff found her they let her know there was a search for her and she said that was silly this is the only place on earth she needed to be.


End file.
